Product category:
Wireless Communications
News Release from: Pulse-Link
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 25 June 2007
Court action protects UWB patents
Pulse-Link has commenced federal litigation against Tzero Technologies, claiming infringement of patented UWB communications technologies.
Pulse-Link has commenced federal litigation against Tzero Technologies of Sunnyvale, California, claiming infringement of Pulse-Link's patented UWB communications technologies Pulse-Link is the oldest UWB company focused on high-speed commercial communications, and is widely recognised as the pioneer of a broad range of UWB technologies
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 2 May 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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In each instance, Tzero appears to follow later with a flurry of similar announcements.
"This company seems to be building its business model based largely on trying to replicate our innovations", states Bruce Watkins, President and COO of Pulse-Link.
"We believe that Tzero's announced UWB-over-coax, wireless HDMI and similar products that it has developed and have or will introduce into the market directly infringe on a number of our patents".
Given the extensive media coverage and publicly available information about Pulse-Link's portfolio, Pulse-Link believes there is no possibility that Tzero could pursue its actions without full knowledge that they are openly infringing Pulse-Link's intellectual property - and knowingly inducing other companies to do so.
Despite being the senior company in the industry, consistently setting the industry performance bar, and having the most comprehensive body of intellectual property in UWB communications worldwide, Pulse-Link has historically taken an openly collaborative stance within the tumultuous UWB industry.
In 2003, Pulse-Link was the first to propose a common signalling mode within the IEEE and the International Telecommunications Union.
The common signalling mode is a method that allows differing technology implementations of UWB to peacefully coexist in an open and diverse UWB technology market.
Pulse-Link has also previously made written offers to make the intellectual property behind Pulse-Link's CWave UWB technology available to collaborative industry standards on a RAND basis, similar to the policies behind standards such as Wi-Fi, 1394 technology and others.
This includes Pulse-Link efforts within the IEEE, the UWB Forum, the 1394 Trade Association and more.
"If Tzero or any other company wants to positively collaborate with us to develop open specifications and build products based on CWave technology so that the best possible market and consumer experience can be assured, we are happy to make our Intellectual Property available under commonly practiced industry terms", states John Santhoff, Chief Technology Officer for Pulse-Link.
"If we sit by and do nothing while a company like Tzero publicly copies us, others will certainly do the same".
"There are very strong indications this may already be happening due to Tzero's actions".
"We had no choice in the matter and were literally pushed into this lawsuit", states Watkins.
"Pulse-Link is simply standing up for its rights and the rights of all innovative companies who make significant patent investments to protect their inventions".
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