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Toyota Hybrid Patent Case Reaches Court

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Old Feb 16, 2006 | 12:59 AM
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Default Toyota Hybrid Patent Case Reaches Court

Full article:
http://www.faz.net/d/invest/meldung....87567&news=adh

In April 2005, Antonov plc, the automotive technology company, filed an infringement action against Toyota at the Patent Court in Düsseldorf alleging infringement of its patents by the driveline of the Toyota Prius and Lexus RX400h. The Düsseldorf Court has recently received Toyota's response to the Antonov suit. This response will be studied by Antonov's lawyers. In addition, the Munich Federal Patent Court has set the hearing of Toyota's counter suit regarding the validity of the Antonov patent for 23 August 2006. This is earlier than was originally expected.

It is anticipated that the infringement case in Düsseldorf will be concluded on 28 August 2006. As a result, a clear view of the strength of the Antonov case as judged by the German legal system will emerge before the end of August 2006. This fulfils the Company's strategy of pursuing this action in Germany to facilitate a swift and cost effective legally-binding decision.
Hmmm.. what do you think? Think Toyota used someone else's hybrid technology (or accidentally created an identical duplicate technology) or do you think that this other company is just digging for gold with the lawsuit?
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 01:16 AM
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well. maybe what they guy is saying they copied can be justified by needing to be in most hybrid vehicle designs.

like when microsoft sued apple for having "wiindows" and "icons" in their OS.

if toyota can prove that they came about it on their own, they should be fine. but if they can't

but if they do lose, there are legal ways that they can use to keep using the designs.
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 01:29 AM
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Yeah, but patents are usually only allowed if they are specific enough to cover an original idea or concept. I have heard cases where two people thought of the same idea seperately, but who knows if this is the case. I guess we just have to wait to find out!
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 01:50 AM
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yea they are. but the thing is. the whole process can take years and someone else can come up with the same thing in the meantime.
copyright and patent law, its all complicated! i have no idea how i ever passed the class.
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 07:14 AM
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Don't forget it will be GERMAN law. . .

I can already smell the German automotive lobbies pushing their political sway on this court!
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 02:43 PM
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and I was all stuck on american law!
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 03:05 PM
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Hmmm... or will it be international law? Aren't there international patent laws? I dunno.
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 03:29 PM
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Yes, there are international patent and copyright laws... but no 1 country can control all the countries in the world... so good luck toyota! The way I see it, if the whole hybrid thing is freed from patents, then MORE car companies can build them, and sell them cheaper, and we can, therefore, BUY them cheaper... right now, the technology is a little over priced... anyways, either way, for the consumer, its a win win sitch.... not so much for toyota though.
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 06:29 PM
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Originally Posted by scionlife
Hmmm... or will it be international law? Aren't there international patent laws? I dunno.
yes there are international patent laws... and they have been updating the laws yearly...

here their site:
http://www.wipo.int/classifications/ipc/en/

but japan is known for their technology... i have a good feeling that toyota will win this case...
and they've been testing hybrids since early 2000s or late 90's... and germany have been known to have spies... who knows if these people spied on toyota and took the idea and filed a patent before toyota did... hmmm... if this is just a coincidence their technology will never be 100% identical... nobody in the world will have the same exact idea... maybe in the universe...

I guess if toyota can prove that Antonov plc's employees are martians they will surely win the case... if not then "50% off when you buy a Prius + a week trip to Germany!"
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 07:19 PM
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statistically IMPROBABLE to have the same idea? Yes. Impossible/Never? No. Its like the whole room full of monkyes typing at random eventually one will pound out a verse of Hamlet or whatever. Unlikely, but possible.

I agree however that knowing the Japanese, and a great portion of their economic success has been developing new hi-end technology, they're probably in the right here.
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 08:17 PM
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I meant never 100% but 99.999999%... and i'm talking about culture to culture... try mixing up monkeys from japan with monkeys from germany... do you think two of them can match randomly? maybe... but not 100%

now clearly their technology (japan vs. german) is no where near the same... Germany is all about brutal force and power... Japan is mainly perfection... Toyota has only made one supercar, Supra... Nissan has Skyline (not even competetive)... Honda what? and Germans has... how many? Lambo? Porsche? BMW? Mecedes SLKs?

i bet you their purpose will definately be different, if anyone would say their idea is identical... their application will be different... and that point when they thought of hybrids, nobody is expecting that gas prices will go up in a year... who would ever thought of perfromance hybrids anyways?
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 08:28 PM
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Originally Posted by skrewCYCO
I meant never 100% but 99.999999%... and i'm talking about culture to culture... try mixing up monkeys from japan with monkeys from germany... do you think two of them can match randomly? maybe... but not 100%
Great anology!
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 08:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Serialk1llr
Originally Posted by skrewCYCO
I meant never 100% but 99.999999%... and i'm talking about culture to culture... try mixing up monkeys from japan with monkeys from germany... do you think two of them can match randomly? maybe... but not 100%
Great anology!
analogy...
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 08:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Serialk1llr
Originally Posted by skrewCYCO
I meant never 100% but 99.999999%... and i'm talking about culture to culture... try mixing up monkeys from japan with monkeys from germany... do you think two of them can match randomly? maybe... but not 100%
Great anology!
analogy you mean
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 08:49 PM
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yeah, that too I've been in the same office cube for....9hrs and still have 1 more to go at least!
Old Feb 16, 2006 | 10:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Serialk1llr
yeah, that too I've been in the same office cube for....9hrs and still have 1 more to go at least!
Mmmmmm... OT... I've been bored... gotta finish up 8 hrs then split... :D
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