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Patentee Tries to Force Ford to Make Less Safe Cars

by on July 8, 2011

As reported in Report: Ford named in patent infringement case over SYNC, safety systems:

Eagle Harbor Holdings has named Ford in a lawsuit, contending that the automaker infringed on seven of its patents after talks between the two companies stalled out in 2008 – and the claimed infringements strike right at the heart of Ford’s recent tech expansion.

In addition to claiming that Ford cribbed its technology for Active Park Assist, Stability Control, Blind Spot Information with Cross Traffic Alert and MyKey, the small Bainbridge Island, WA tech firm claims that the technology behind Ford’s incredibly popular SYNC infotainment system. Specifically, the voice control and remote MP3 player connection technology.

Of course the patentee here probably just wants money, but its basis for any damages it requests is based on its implicit threat to seek an injunction to prevent Ford from using features–such as voice control–that can save lives. Yet another case of patents endangering human life (for another: the Fabrazyme situation).

(h/t Ryan Gosche)

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The Center for the Study of Innovative Freedom (C4SIF) is dedicated to building public awareness of the manner in which so-called “intellectual property” (IP) laws and policies impede innovation, creativity, communication, learning, knowledge, emulation, and information sharing. We are for property rights, free markets, competition, commerce, cooperation, and the voluntary sharing of knowledge, and oppose IP laws, which systematically impede or hamper innovation. IP law should be completely and immediately abolished.

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