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More Sony lawsuits, this time over Cell photo

Sony has been sued so many times that they now probably just shrug it off and go about their evening. We wouldn't be surprised to hear that the suits at Sony have the word 'lawsuit' flagged to get picked up by their spam filter. Hopefully this one made it into the inbox, as the new suit makes a pretty big claim.

A California-based company called Parallel Processing filed a suit that claims that Sony's Cell processor infringes on patent number 5,056,000, otherwise known as “Synchronized Parallel Processing with Shared Memory”. The patent was issued in October of 1991, and describes a device that breaks down programs “into smaller concurrent processes running in different parallel processors” and "resynchronizes the program for faster processing times." They claim that Sony has caused “irreparable harm and monetary damage" to their company. The suit states that:

“On information and belief, Defendant Sony Corporation of America has infringed and continues to infringe on the ‘000 Patent by making, using, importing, offering for sale and/or selling products among other things, covered by one or more claims of the ‘000 Patent, including, but not limited to, Sony Playstation III [sic].”

The company is asking for damages, legal fee refunds, interest, and the "impounding and destruction" of all of Sony's Cell processors. Right.

[Via Next Gen]

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41 comments | showing # 1 to 41

Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 07/31/2007 00:04
Yeah, good luck with that Parallel Processing.
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 07/31/2007 00:04
Hahahah, yeah alright. Fucking patent trolls, I hope they don't get a penny out of it. I'm tired of bullshit like this coming up in the news. Laws need to be amended to put an end to it.
Magesx's Avatar
Magesx at 07/31/2007 00:06
Playstation III?

Goddamn Romans.
Tino's Avatar
Tino at 07/31/2007 00:11
"impounding and destruction" of all of Sony's Cell processors.

That is HILARIOUS. I mean, it's one thing to try to make a buck off of Sony. Maybe just sue and demand dinner and a movie and we will call it even. Maybe an evening with David Hayter.

But destruction of all Sony cell processors. Sure. Good luck.
Dale North's Avatar
Dale North at 07/31/2007 00:12
oh shit. Was I not supposed to destroy my PS3 yet?
Ritalin Twitch's Avatar
Ritalin Twitch at 07/31/2007 00:14
No worries, Sony will just activate the self destruct code over PSN.
Coonskin05's Avatar
Coonskin05 at 07/31/2007 00:14
@the post picture: a piece of what? all the money Sonys NOT making off the PS3?
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 07/31/2007 00:50
I bet I could make some shit up right now off the top of my head and end up suing someone over it in fifteen years.

BRB going to file a patent for the triple quantamoticonnecticore vibration-activated flangilizer chip.
Capn Birdseye's Avatar
Capn Birdseye at 07/31/2007 00:50
"impounding and destruction" of all of Sony's Cell processors

Right. All 5 of you turn over your PS3s to the an authorised collection centre. kkthxbi
Lowtax's Avatar
Lowtax at 07/31/2007 00:51
Jack Trenton should wear a money hat.
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 07/31/2007 01:01
I was going to use flash but the icon was all the way on the other side of my desktop and it just wasn't worth it

Azereki's Avatar
Azereki at 07/31/2007 01:05
If they win the lawsuit I will be sorely disappointed. I love companies that claimed to hold a patent to something, yet never actually produce anything. "I have a good idea, let me patent it in hopes someone else will someday have the same idea so I can sue them!"
Image Hosted by ImageShack.us</a><br/>
kittridge at 07/31/2007 01:29
@azereki - Dude, that was totally my idea. You have infringed upon my idea by repeating it aloud. Prepare for a lawsuit, my friend.
Crunshii's Avatar
Crunshii at 07/31/2007 02:16
isnt Dual Core, Quad Core, octa Core processors the same parallel processing? and AMD's? I mean arent all chips nowadays using it? what about the Xeon processor? currently installed in the 360 and all Windows servers, isnt that also parallel processing?

Not only that, the cell was made by IBM, Toshiba, Sony. Shouldnt the sue also claim IBM and Toshiba for manufacturing it?

If they win the case it might get allot more deeper than thought.
This technology is not Sony's but it is widely used, Sony just did a little fast
Aequitas's Avatar
Aequitas at 07/31/2007 02:28
Sony will win this easily. It's hardly even worth talking about.

In related news, have you ever read a patent application? It's like the only prerequisites to getting a patent accepted are 1) lots of technical jargon (example code in C if possible!), and 2) writing with intent to obfuscate.
3r0t1c n3rd's Avatar
3r0t1c n3rd at 07/31/2007 02:31
Sony's just going to scare the shit out of them, with their giant armada of lawyers.
wardrox's Avatar
wardrox at 07/31/2007 03:20
@Crunshii: from memory the normal PC duel cores (basically) run different programs on each core, whereas the cell (JUST LIKE ALL THE OTHER PARALLEL PROCESSORS) takes an instruction (or small sequence) and spreads it out over several cores.

It does seem odd suing Sony though, did they design it? no. Are they the only people using the "CellZor"? no... wtf? Patent troll noobs.
nightmareci's Avatar
nightmareci at 07/31/2007 04:32
I really dislike patents when used for certain things (especially software... just plain STUPID), but these people are just idiot patent trolls, like everyone else said. I really wish the gov't would fucking do something so patent trolls can't do their shit anymore, like requiring you to DO SOMETHING with your patent within a certain amount of time, or it gets invalidated, thus killing off patent trolls.
Vyruz's Avatar
Vyruz at 07/31/2007 04:34
And WHY! do they come with this lawsuit now, the slow bastards should have L-suited as soon as sony announced the core in the first place.
But they had to suit them months later when everyone grew accostumated to the PS3 and then lawsuit them.
why do they always do that?
kadosho's Avatar
kadosho at 07/31/2007 05:00
And so nextgen hits a slight snag yet again, um Sony just please no more attention whoring its enough. Even worse when a major title said by its own producer, is being developed for that hardware only. Because of its efficiency, and that it can handle a complex graphics engine. If thats the case.. um why those lawsuits? Did Sony stick their hands in some cookie jars' they werent suppose to? *again

Im guessing more six-axis reflexes will be required in MGS4 if this keeps up. *next mission, avoid the enemy @ all costs, they have reason! aye yai yai..
lwesquire's Avatar
lwesquire at 07/31/2007 05:24
Anyone remember that guy who patented the wheel a couple of years back? He just used some fancy engineering terms to describe a bike wheel and the patent drones must have just said "TLDR, rubberstamped!". Sony needn't sweat this one. I'm still waiting to see what they do with the new controllers now the Immersion lawsuit is done and dusted, button-specific rumble/recoil sounds sweet.
Burnt Meatloaf's Avatar
Burnt Meatloaf at 07/31/2007 05:58
Yeah, like other supercomputer manufacturers have never infringed on this patent.

Reminds me of all the companies that own patents on the serial bus.
brainderailment's Avatar
brainderailment at 07/31/2007 06:14
If they want a piece of the profits, then they can go on ahead and start going into the red along with the Playstation Division.

@Vyruz, these dumbasses think that sony is making huge bank with that heavy PS3 price.

@Kadosho, Sony has no reason to attention whore itself, it gets all the attention it can handle when people ask how much the ps3 is.
hjd uk's Avatar
hjd uk at 07/31/2007 06:37
Ok, they might get some damages / £££, but demanding the impounding and destruciton of millions of Cell processors? WTF. Without that clause they might have had a chance, but this will just get thrown straight out.
Milhouse's Avatar
Milhouse at 07/31/2007 06:39
To all decent-minded person (who doesn't get any profit from these barbarian and retrograde measures aka lawyers and governments working for them), all these patent stuff is an aberration. I wish for the day that decency will reach the higher stratas. But well, they make a whole lot of cash with this, so who care? What's decency's for when these practices help you live like a spoiled idiot.
cryocide's Avatar
cryocide at 07/31/2007 07:09
So they're suing Sony over a processor that Sony didn't design?
cryocide's Avatar
cryocide at 07/31/2007 07:13
So they're suing Sony over a processor that Sony didn't design?
stevenjazz787's Avatar
stevenjazz787 at 07/31/2007 07:47
The ability to build on a patent is considered in these trials. If a patent sits for 16 years like that and the company never builds a viable prototype they are pretty much ignored by the courts.
RTYPE1124's Avatar
RTYPE1124 at 07/31/2007 08:10
What are the chances that this guy just really wants MGS4 on the 360 and is willing to try and get all the PS3's destroyed so that he can get the game on the 360 ;)
Joe Burling's Avatar
Joe Burling at 07/31/2007 09:01
It is possible that this company has a leg to stand on, but if so Sony will just settle and all will be good.
savagesaladin's Avatar
savagesaladin at 07/31/2007 09:40
I'm sure people are just going to sit back and let them destroy their $600 PS3s.
anonuser's Avatar
anonuser at 07/31/2007 10:16
Yeah they'll win that suit....HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH.
I repeat: HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH.
Copyright 2008 Agent Chieftain's Avatar
Copyright 2008 Agent Chieftain at 07/31/2007 10:27
flapjacks's Avatar
flapjacks at 07/31/2007 10:34
This patent shit is amazing. How can you patent a generic idea? It's not like they patented a specific processor architecture, just a simple concept.
Assholes.

Of course it goes both ways. Sony has probably fucked with other companies for infringing on vague patents.
JonDarkwood's Avatar
JonDarkwood at 07/31/2007 11:55
I think patents are a fucking stupid idea to begin with. The important part is how you put components together to make a marketable product.
Rosseh's Avatar
Rosseh at 07/31/2007 12:24
Yeh fuck protecting my intellectual property! I wish any stupid fuck could just steal my ideas and profit from them!

Can you imagine? the entire planet like Ebaumsworld. Awesome, friggin' awesome...
flapjacks's Avatar
flapjacks at 07/31/2007 12:35
Although I agree that patents are needed so ideas aren't stolen, these very generalized patents are ridiculous. I'm going to patent moon colonies. Moon colonies are defined by me as 'places where humans inhabit ... on the moon'. Yup. In 100 years I'll be a rich troll.
phamtq's Avatar
phamtq at 07/31/2007 12:54
I love these patent description:

"escribes a device that breaks down programs “into smaller concurrent processes running in different parallel processors”"

I think that's on of the definitions of parallel computing. I mean, could I patent a technique called "running" which involves the movement of two "leg" like items.
kadosho's Avatar
kadosho at 07/31/2007 13:51
actually i was joking around about the MGS note, but this whole thing feels planned for some reason. almost like a political campaign, they all play their roles, and act out their characters until the real perspective comes out. And you see who they really are. We all remember when the PSX & Saturn came out, and how much of a lashing Sony gave Sega. Flash forward to now, now Sony is getting those lashings but still standing.

Wonder if Sony is going to clear up this mess they've made of themselves. Or maybe the media is just playing along. Who knows, right?
Crunshii's Avatar
Crunshii at 07/31/2007 18:58
The patent is for “A high speed computer that permits the partitioning of a single computer program into smaller concurrent processes running in different parallel processors.” Oddly enough, Sony’s own patent, filed in 2001 and issued in 2007, actually lists the 1991 patent as a citation. In other words, Sony’s own patent lawyers have already seen the old patent and deemed it not to be a threat, and the U.S. Patent Office apparently agreed when it issued Sony the patent in June.

Sony's Patent:
http://www.google.com/patents?id=bk6AAAAAEBAJ&dq=broadband+cell+sony

Patent Troll's Patent
http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT5056000

Mack_'s Avatar
Mack_ at 07/31/2007 19:12
props to crunshii for showing that sony is soo powerful that they can patent patents.....
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