Firm Sues Sony Over Cell

[Gizmo]

Sony is being sued again, this time over the cell processor:

Next Generation
By Kris Graft

A new suit filed against Sony Corp. of America says the PS3’s Cell processor infringes on an existing patent, and demands the “impounding and destruction” of all of Sony’s infringing processors.

[Áedán]

There's something odd going on here - why are they just going after Sony? The Cell processor was build by IBM, Sony and Toshiba, but yet only Sony is being sued?

Whu not chase IBM, who are shipping blade servers with Cell processors in them? Why not go after Toshiba who ship development workstations based around the Cell processor?

[Áedán]

Also, from the patent: "A high speed computer that permits the partitioning of a single computer program into smaller concurrent processes running in different parallel processors. The program execution time is divided into synchronous phases, each of which may require a shared memory to be configured in a distinct way. At the end of each execution phase, the processors are resynchronized such that the composite system will be in a known state at a known point in time. The computer makes efficient use of hardware such that n processors can solve a problem almost n times as fast as a single processor."

This also sounds like it would cover things like HyperThreading and possibly some multicore systems?

[Gizmo]

There's some conjecture that Sony are vulnerable to a patent suit right now because of ongoing expenses with the PS3, and their desire to use the PS3 to 'seed' the Blu-Ray market. If a settlement can be reached with Sony, it could enable a 'war chest' to go after others.

[Pitch]

Cell and the inner workings of it have been public knowledge for ages. They had their chance to contend it in my opinion.

But yeah, the Patent is much to vague.

[danrok]

Sounds like some name plate firm, which employ's nobody and does nothing productive, coming up with a vague and obvious prediction of future processors. Then they sue when a real firm does all the real hard work.

If so, I hope they lose, and the director ends up living under a bridge.

[Gizmo]

From what I gather, the original patent filer International Parallel Machines Inc., is a small outfit that really didn't have the resources to pursue patent litigation and assigned the patent to another company which was created for the express purpose of pursuing the litigation.

[danrok]

A cutting edge firm! Still supporting DOS!

http://www.ipmiplc.com/support.html

[Gizmo]

That doesn't make the patent any less valid. And although the things that are being done today make the patent obvious, at the time the patent was filed, it's arguable that it WAS novel.

[hjason7812]

i seen this somewhere else and i think it is just rediculous because microsoft uses it in the 360 as well.
so why aren't they doing a multiple litigation suite?
i think these people might be a 360 fanboy looking to destroy sony.
and the ps3.
it is writen in law that you can use someone elses design and make slight inprovments to it and it becomes yours.
i know this because i invented something as well and i asked everything known about patents and infringements. so i didn't get sued if there was the same design allready out there.

[Samuknow]

It all depends on how vague the original patent is and of the actual content. It me be the way Sony used the cell processor.