(updated) Symbol Technologies is claiming a patent on a core part of all Wi-Fi chipsets, and has already won its first lawsuit to enforce it.
Symbol Technologies has won a lawsuit against Proxim over Proxim's 802.11 Wi-Fi products that Symbol claims infringes on one of their patents, and is planning to go after other companies next.
The patent in question covers the power-save feature that is built into every Wi-Fi chipset. The patent technically only applies if the chipset is then integrated into a product, which means that every Wi-Fi product on the market could be infringing.
Proxim and Symbol originally began a patent fight in 2001 over various patents each claimed the other was infringing, and Symbol won both suits. As part of the agreement reached to avoid a lengthy appeals process, Proxim also turned over several of its patents to Symbol in exchange for a discount on the licensing fee for the patent in addition to paying a $23 million USD fine awarded by jury, a figured based on a 6% royalty on Proxim's Wi-Fi sales.
Commenting on the case, a Symbol spokesperson said that the company does not plan on making patent licensing a major part of its business, nor does it want to end up suing every other Wi-Fi manufacturer in the world. However, Symbol would not comment on whether or not it would persue licensing deals with other Wi-Fi manufacturers or not. Were it to do so, the increased cost of producing Wi-Fi equipment would, most likely, be passed on to buyers in terms of higher prices for Wi-Fi components and in turn Wi-Fi-capable products.
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