Round 2 ladies and gentlemen.
Recall a couple months back when RED initiated suit against Sony for patent infringement by Sony’s F65, F55 and F5 cinema cameras. RED wanted to literally have Sony’s cameras pulled from shelves and destroyed.
Now, it’s Sony’s turn.
On the eve of NAB 2013, Sony released a statement that it has filed suit against RED for infringing on seven of its patents.
On April 5, 2013, Sony Corporation (“Sony”) sued Red Digital Cinema (“Red”) for infringing 7 of Sony’s patents in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Sony believes that the Red ONE, EPIC and SCARLET cameras, various digital still and motion camera modules, and various accessories such as the REDMOTE infringe our patents. Sony is seeking both money damages and an injunction to stop the continued sale of Red’s infringing products. Sony makes significant investments into the research & development of technology related to the cinema camera industry and intends to protect those investments against companies that infringe our patents.
While I have not read the complaint that Sony filed, Sony is asking for essentially the same relief in court that RED asked for – “an injunction to stop the continued sale of Red’s infringing products.” Although, there is no apparent demand to destroy all RED cameras…
As noted in my prior article on RED’s suit, there is a big “if” regarding whether these lawsuits ever make it to trial. It sure looks like Sony is pushing this lawsuit in direct response to the suit filed by RED. Sony is probably trying to build some leverage to settle both suits.
Of course, Sony could have a very strong case and RED a weak case (or vice versa). If those circumstances become apparent to either party, it could be a bloodbath in the digital cinema camera world…
[via SAR]
i am not with Red or Sony, but Red scarlet and Red Epic came before the Sony F5 and F55, in moths , and Sony is only suing Red for the Redmote , while Red is suing Sony for the infringing of the Cameras and destroying them ,the F5 , F55 and F65, with the content that i have, it is totally a different case, Red can destroy the Redmote and create another one, but can Sony afford destroying 3 cameras Like the F5, F55 and F65, let’s wait and see if any of these Suits really make it to court, honestly i think even if Red is right, Sony is a much bigger and a very big major cooperation worldwide and i think they will both end up with nothing destroyed and even if RED won the suit, it will only win it in the USA only, cause this is the same case to what had happened before with Apple and Samsung, it ended up for Samsung paying 3 billion dollars to apple and they won only in the USA, while Samsung got the technology and is still selling like apple and even more than apple worldwide and Samsung is still using the same technology. paying 3 billion dollars is much better than to stop making the cell phones, so even if Sony or Red won they will pay and they will keep the cameras and they will sell them, and they have already began selling a lot of the F5, F55 and F65. so these suits are bullshit, the damage is done, but for us as users we benefit from a lot of companies making a lot of different products in order for these companies to compete and there wise we will end up with better digital cameras and better prices just for the sake of each company to try to sell as much as they can.
First of all, Sony is suing RED for 7 patent infringements INCLUDING their accessories. Whereas RED only has two patents on RAW recording, albeit seems like a weak case on REDs part.
Roland- Your numbers are wrong. The initial Apple / Samsung is $1.2B. But that has been downgraded by $450M. That was BEFORE the patent office stated that some of Apples patents are invalid thus causing another review of monies to be paid out. Judge Lucy refused to eliminate the phones.
Red is trying the same American lawsuit mentality tactic by trying to wipe out the competition from a better product. It won’t work. Sony is snot so stupid as to infringe on another company’s products or patents. Red is stupid to even attempt such nonsense. Sony is getting fed up withe RED bullshit and said enough is enough. You want to play like an ass – you are going to be treated like an ass. Red will lose out in credibility and sales just like Apple is losing out and shares have dropped 35%. Just like the big 3 went unfairly against Toyota. Now Toyota is #3, Samsung is ahead of Apple.
Personally, I hope that the bs of RED will spell the end of the nonsense and RED dies a slow death. The F55 is a phenominal camera and deserves all the glory, the profits and credibility is so justly deserves.
Cheers,
Take 5
If anyone is holding the cards it is Sony. I mean they have been making video cameras for how long. I’m sure their list of patents is extensive.
And these patent lawsuits are not frivolous. You need to protect inventors or else companies won’t spend as much on R&D and spend it on copying what the competition is doing.
Anyone who reads Red’s blog probably know that Jim Jannard (the CEO) is famous for posting long, indulgent “drunken” rants late at night, claiming that they are “Americans”, “pioneers”, “revolutionaries” and leaders in technology (shades of Steve Jobs, but without the “genius”).
Yet, they always deliver late and their products always end up costing more than promised. Reliability sucks and, while the tech they put out is sexy and cutting edge, this bully attitude of wanting to stomp on everyone that tries to compete with you only work if you’re the biggest kid on the block. Well, Jimmy boy: you ain’t. And the next few months could very well rub that fact in your face.