A SINGAPORE firm has threatened to sue websites that use pictures or graphics to link to another page, claiming it owns the patent for a technology used by millions around the world.
In a move that has come under fire from the online community, VueStar Technologies has sent ‘invoices’ to local website operators asking for thousands of dollars in licensing fees.
The company, which said ‘virtually all websites’ are infringing on its patent, is also planning to take on giants like Mircosoft and Google.
It is a battle that could, at least in theory, upend the Internet, though intellectual property experts have some doubts that VueStar can actually enforce its claims.
The company said it has been awarded a patent here and in several other countries, including Australia, New Zealand and the United States, for the method of ‘locating Web pages by utilising visual images’.
In other words, clicking, scrolling or streaming over a visual image to connect with a website or Web page is an infringement, the company claims on its website.
The technique is the de facto method used to connect websites across the globe, from personal blogs to the biggest search engines.
VueStar managing director Paul Smith said if sites want to keep using images as links, they will have to pay his company - located in a single-unit office at The Adelphi off Coleman Street - between ‘$200? and ‘millions’ annually.
It is a claim, however, that has its doubters.
Technology and intellectual property lawyer Bryan Tan of Keystone Law Corporation said that while VueStar has been granted a patent, it is an extremely wide one.
In fact, ‘if the patent is allowed to stand, it will probably bring the (Internet) industry to its knees’. And VueStar’s patent may be contested and overturned in court, he said.
The firm has been sending out invoices to Singapore companies since last week asking them to pay up, said Mr Smith. He declined to say how many have gone out, but there have been ‘enough to keep my phone busy’.
Those who do not pay up, warned Mr Smith, face legal action, and his company is ‘highly confident that (a court decision) will be in our favour’.
Mr Alvin Koh, who runs the non-profit Arrowana fish website arofanatics.com, received one of VueStar’s invoices last week for $5,350. He does not intend to pay up and said: ‘I would rather close down the site’.
Mr Smith recognises that Mr Koh’s stand will likely be a popular one, and his firm is already girding up for a public backlash.
‘Website owners are just upset because they never had to pay for it before,’ said Mr Smith.
VueStar will begin enforcing its patent claims in Australia and the US ’soon’, he said, and the firm is also working on invoices for Internet heavyweights like Google and Microsoft.
While governments and charities will need a licence, VueStar will not be asking for payment from these parties, he said.
Mr Tan urged companies to contact their lawyers before ‘paying VueStar anything’.
From Straits Times 27th May 2008
I took a little look at their full patent here
I only glance through that damned document, but it seems like the patent was filed in the context of providing visual aids in search engine to help locate website, hence “Method of locating web-pages by utilising visual images”. I may have missed something, but the patent certainly did not include using image links to link to a webpage.
So what you are trying to do, VueStar? Scam!
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So far as the patent goes , this patent holder can try to enforce his rights.
However , the ability to enforce will be very minimum.
The patent office has probably not looked into the full impact of the patent .
Anyway such patents must have been registered multiple times by many parties , using much more broad terms , all hoping to reap benefit from such patent.
These patents will probably be thrown out altogether , but only if the big boys fight it . The smaller guys will probably have to concede and pay .
However , if they manage to get all the boys to pay up , Singapore will suddenly become famous overnight .
I hope the local company does win .
I will personally buy some shares of this local company (if available) , in the hope of sudden meteoric rise to fame and riches.
However , it will be like buying Toto (very slim chances).