> The Texas jury found that Facebook Live and Instagram Live incorporated two pieces of Voxer’s technologies that involve streaming media over networks
I don't feel sorry for FB at all, but patents for streaming data over a network seems nonsensical, at best. I just picked out a random patent from the lawsuit (https://ia801906.us.archive.org/16/items/gov.uscourts.txwd.1...), and the claims are so dumb.
> Users are empowered to conduct communications in either: (i) a near-synchronous or "live" conversation, providing a user experience similar to a standard full duplex phone call; or (ii) in a series of back and forth time-delayed transmissions (i.e., time-shifted mode). Further, users engaged in a conversation can seamlessly transition from the live mode to the time-shifted mode and back again. This attribute also makes it possible for users to engage in multiple conversations, at the same time, by prioritizing and shifting between the two modes for each conversation. Two individuals using the system can therefore send recorded voice messages back and forth to each other and review the messages when convenient, or the messages can be sent at a rate where they essentially merge into a live, synchronous voice conversation.
Hmmm... this sounds familiar... (stripping away all the nonsense patent language). So people can send voice messages or text messages, or both, or call. Wow, such innovation.
> This new form of communication, for the purposes of the present application, is referred to as "Voxing."
I don't feel sorry for FB at all, but patents for streaming data over a network seems nonsensical, at best. I just picked out a random patent from the lawsuit (https://ia801906.us.archive.org/16/items/gov.uscourts.txwd.1...), and the claims are so dumb.
Patent (https://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=...):
> Users are empowered to conduct communications in either: (i) a near-synchronous or "live" conversation, providing a user experience similar to a standard full duplex phone call; or (ii) in a series of back and forth time-delayed transmissions (i.e., time-shifted mode). Further, users engaged in a conversation can seamlessly transition from the live mode to the time-shifted mode and back again. This attribute also makes it possible for users to engage in multiple conversations, at the same time, by prioritizing and shifting between the two modes for each conversation. Two individuals using the system can therefore send recorded voice messages back and forth to each other and review the messages when convenient, or the messages can be sent at a rate where they essentially merge into a live, synchronous voice conversation.
Hmmm... this sounds familiar... (stripping away all the nonsense patent language). So people can send voice messages or text messages, or both, or call. Wow, such innovation.
> This new form of communication, for the purposes of the present application, is referred to as "Voxing."
Thank god this never caught on.