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Quintura chooses software patent claims as revenue stream
I'm not a fan of software patents, and I'm particularly not a fan of companies who use them as a business model. While the concept of patenting software makes sense, in practice it is a complete mess.
I was therefore saddened to learn that Quintura, an otherwise interesting search startup, has devolved into using a patent for their visual search technology as a revenue stream by going after other search companies to pay a license fee if they have a visual search component.
Quintura's patent was only awarded on December 1, 2009, and already they are targeting Google for a little-known search interface they have called Wonder Wheel, with plans to go after "several companies and services that could have infringed the patent."
This new direction marks the beginning of the end for Quintura, and it's a shame. I'm no lawyer, but my guess is that Google (or one of the other companies that Quintura targets) will be able to find evidence somewhere of prior art and invalidate the patent, or will otherwise be able to tangle Quintura up legally in a financial chokehold until they quietly go away. When you're David, it's usually not a good idea to throw pebbles at Goliath.
Comments
2
Subscribe to commentsDarthNinjaFeb 13th 2010 5:04PM
You'd think Quintura might have learned something when Google flipped off the Chinese government.
ie, Google does what Google wants.
PS_4Feb 14th 2010 1:37AM
lol reminds me of that quote from The Aviator:
Howard Hughes: You want to go to war with me?
Sen. Ralph Owen Brewster: It's not me, Howard. It's the United States Government. We just beat Germany and Japan. Who the hell are you?