Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Clown-Free Zone... sorry, no clowns allowed -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: marginmike who wrote (105186)	5/28/2001 10:02:36 PM
From: GraceZ	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 436258

Here's the thing with a patent. Say, you own a patent on some small device that every cell phone uses and you charge the licensees a $1 for every phone.....you've got a really good thing going. TiVo only has about 180,000 devices out there, not enough for their subscription service to make any kind of headway. But say they have this patent and it's enforceable for all those set top boxes and TiVo like devices like Ultimate TV that use that technology. If they charge a small amount, it's likely that the different manufacturers will pay the license fee......but if the roll out of these devices doesn't go ballistic pretty soon, TiVo won't be in biz long enough to collect. If they charge a lot, then it's likely the big players will simply fight them in court or change their tech just enough to skirt the patent. They don't have enough cash or revenue flow to fight an extended battle. This leads me to believe they will have to sell out to someone bigger who can enforce the patent, regardless of what they charge.