Garmin has a victory in court

[ring fry]

Be interested to see how this affects the transducer situation and how fast Garmin can react. Might have to hold off on the Humminbird I was looking at.

I just have a sneaky feeling Garmin hasn't been sitting on their hands. But probably won't see anything new in packaging until after the first of the year.

SE Kansas grass grower

[RangerRic]

Guess I will have to take back, patting myself on the back, for buying a second gt52 ....

[DTro]

It would be a nice goodwill gesture to send out replacement transducers to those that purchased the CV's.

[bassin_man]

I just have a sneaky feeling Garmin hasn't been sitting on their hands. But probably won't see anything new in packaging until after the first of the year.

SE Kansas grass grower

Works for me. Probably wasn't buying until the holiday season anyways so if they announce something new a few more months won't hurt.

[grout-scout]

So much about this case is totally screwed up. Several courts with different rulings and I'd like to know how a invalid/ illegal patent gets approved. Talk about a win for the lawyers and the rest of the system looking like a joke.

[Riccochet]

how a invalid/ illegal patent gets approved ...... lawyers

You answered your own question.

[hays47]

why does everyone pick on lawyers ? Its only 99% of them giving the impression that they are all bad.

[ifishinxs]

So much about this case is totally screwed up. Several courts with different rulings and I'd like to know how a invalid/ illegal patent gets approved. Talk about a win for the lawyers and the rest of the system looking like a joke.

My take on the whole deal was that the validity of the patents was never checked in the first place. The lower courts assumed that the patents were valid. So Lower courts dropped the ball to begin with and it took the Garmin legal team to bring the error to light. I'm glad this over, now the marine electronic companies can get to developing new transducers and other cool crap for fisherman to use without Lowrance/Navico trying sue everyone.

[DanR]

So much about this case is totally screwed up. Several courts with different rulings and I'd like to know how a invalid/ illegal patent gets approved. Talk about a win for the lawyers and the rest of the system looking like a joke.

As someone that deals with patent trolls quite a bit, you would be SHOCKED at stuff there are patents for. And there are companies that buy them up and then start suing and settling - this is how they make a living. I have seen lawsuits for patents on things like having a thumbnail on a website and clicking it for a larger image (yes, you read that right) and another one for a company that had a patent on being able to play a downloaded sound clip on your phone. Every time I see a patent troll case in the technology world, I have to shake my head... I'm not even kidding that some of these patents are so commonplace that it would be like you getting personally sued because someone had a patent for using a fork to eat with. It's crazy.

Dan

[95202DCX]

Have a nice day!!!

[XS-Skeet]

So... You think Garmin will replace the CV transducers for free... I don't think we should hold our breath...

[grout-scout]

As someone that deals with patent trolls quite a bit, you would be SHOCKED at stuff there are patents for. And there are companies that buy them up and then start suing and settling - this is how they make a living. I have seen lawsuits for patents on things like having a thumbnail on a website and clicking it for a larger image (yes, you read that right) and another one for a company that had a patent on being able to play a downloaded sound clip on your phone. Every time I see a patent troll case in the technology world, I have to shake my head... I'm not even kidding that some of these patents are so commonplace that it would be like you getting personally sued because someone had a patent for using a fork to eat with. It's crazy.

Dan

idiots looking for the quick bucks. I sure hope they never find valid ones.

[GetReel]

[DanR]

idiots looking for the quick bucks. I sure hope they never find valid ones.

They make an alarming amount of money... they reach out to maybe 15 companies with a letter of intent, settle with 5 of them at 50k each, they made 250k. It's usually a small group of patent lawyers that have the company... they typically don't even have an actual office building.

[MonteSS]

Navico should pay for a transducer exchange program where CV get free upgrade to GT

[Ranger482V]

Navico should pay for a transducer exchange program where CV get free upgrade to GT

That would be nice...just got the 73sv chirp with cv52 about a month ago...

[ifishinxs]

Navico should pay for a transducer exchange program where CV get free upgrade to GT

Agreed and return royalties to Hummingbird and Raymarine.

[LWINCHESTER2]

Pretty much old news now but here is another take on the legalistic side posted by Matthew Prestine on another board.

http://www.dailyreportingsuite.com/i...lid_as_obvious

[Wayne P.]

Pretty much old news now but here is another take on the legalistic side posted by Matthew Prestine on another board.

http://www.dailyreportingsuite.com/i...lid_as_obvious

This part is not accurate. DownVu, Down Scan, Down Imaging, and Down Vision use the same crystal shape (linear) as the side looking imaging, not round like 2D sonar.

The second prior art reference was U.S. Patent No. 7,652,952 ("Betts"), entitled "Sonar imaging system for mounting to watercraft." Betts disclosed a sonar system with side scanning and bottom scanning elements. Betts described two linear transducers that scanned the water to the sides of a boat and two circular transducers that scanned the water below the boat.

[LWINCHESTER2]

I see your point. I thought Humminbird would have contested the Lowrance patent since all they did was take one of the side elements and and point it down using Hbird technology.