BT sue Valve

[TeaLeaf]

This one will be interesting.  

Delaware just got a 4 patent-breaking lawsuit from BT who are after BT for multiple infringements including:

-delivering multiple source content via a single portal
-steam chat
-steam library
-steam broadcasting

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2016/08/31/bt-valve-patent-infringement-lawsuit/

[smilodon]

Let's not forget that BT were the morons that actually thought they could sue for ownership of hyper text markup language. The reality was that they didn't (obviously) but regardless, any company that even thought they might be able to monetise one of the foundations of a free open Internet they should live in shame.

These patents seem on the face of it to be broad ideas i.e.

The Gittins Patent is about customers being provided with content originating from multiple subscription services through a single portal and being able to retrieve that which they have rights to access.

rather than some specific technology BT worked hard to develop and that Valve just stole.Seems even after all these years our biggest UK Telco is still a patent troll at heart.

[Galatoni]

Without going into the specifics (and not knowing the origins fully), there is a good chance these are just a number of phd thesis which BT paid for anyway. Although companies support a given student through their academic course, I hate the idea that its done solely for profit. I'm very concerned about BT at the moment. I think they might be finding themselves in the firing line of a few government enquiries.

[Twyst]

I'm very concerned about BT at the moment. I think they might be finding themselves in the firing line of a few government enquiries.

I think they should have been broken up like the rail services a long time ago.
But part of me says that have the government in their pocket - see their takeover of EE (Ofcom approved) where-as Three's takeover of O2 was blocked (Ofcom lobbied Brussels to block it).