Wi-Fi Hotspots may be in hot water

[Highlander]

Posted from http://www.sveasoft.com/modules/phpB...?p=39006#39006


Is it the end of Hotspots as we know it? Or just a blip on the radar?


So, We have Acacia Research and Nomadix about to do battle. Well, I don't see the battle, since Nomadix was just a bit late in filing their ridiculous concept patent.

What am I talking about?

Well, here's the Slashdot on it...
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?s...&tid=95&tid=17

and the WifiNews article.
http://wifinetnews.com/archives/004184.html
So, I do hotspots to some degree, and one of my locations got the "packet" which demands licensing or lawsuit. Since this locations does NOT do re-direction anyway, this is not a problem in this case.

For those who don't want to read the articles above, Acacia Research has a patent, this patent is on the re-direction done by almost EVERY hotspot out there. This is not a specific KIND of re-direction folks, but a VERY broad patent on "You ask for one website and the server/router gives you another (ie. login/advertising/CC Payment/disclaimer)"...In other words, Chillispot is not safe, nor is NoCat. But they aren't chasing Chillispot and Nocat, they aren't chasing Linksys and Cisco, they aren't chasing Boingo and Airpath and NetNearU, they are chasing down and demanding of locations and ENDUSERS. $1000 per license (covers 3500 re-directions) and 15cents per re-direct thereafter.

Now, what you see initially is that EVERYONE says it's ridiculous. The patent will never stand, etc. But look up this company, they are RAKING in money because they bought up patents which they say gives them ownership of "every known method of Streaming Video and Audio", and while you laugh, realize the courts have thusfar upheld it and HUNDREDS of Well Known companies have paid the licenses, since Acacia will leap on you like a pitbull and litigate you broke, if you don't.

So, this is a general heads-up for the wireless community who may not know this stuff, and a more specific question as to how the "Hotspot" should be handled by Sveasoft. 802.11x? Or do you use the contended re-direction? IF this patent is struck down, Nomadix has another on re-direction waiting in the wings...So we might want to consider finding another verification method which does NOT use re-direction.

James

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This is a cross post and this is scarry... I have some wi-fi stuff
as well as a new Hotspot

[w0ob]

Havn't we heard this one before?
As soon as an idea gets widley used we hear this. "We bought this and that and bla bla..."
These days the major income of companies seems to be lawsuits or settlements outside of court wich occur as a result of them threatening with a lawsuit.
Can't they just buy them self some inspiration and come up with an idea of their own?

And as far as im concerned hotspots will keep on existing.
Especially since the patent is so broad. Claiming that redirecting is something that they have exclusive rights to is insane. Have in mind that theres a lot of websites using this technique,and the fact that all of these websites together have a large amount of money if they gather and cooperate in this case.

So the ultimate answer to your question is: No they wont die.

[SarinMage]

on another note the XML interface for nomadix HSG is horrid.

[The Texan]

You been around here for a while so you already know the rules. Can I ask why u brought this dead thread back after 2+ years to say that?