Right, well, this is new. We know of countless copyright lawsuits being thrown about regarding BitTorrent – but what about a patent lawsuit? A company which, for now, has all the airs of a classic patent troll, has sued BitTorrent, Inc. and uTorrent, claiming the BitTorrent protocol violates some vague software patent. No connection to the mafia RIAA/MPAA/etc. has been found yet, but I won’t be surprised.
The company in question is Tranz-Send Broadcasting Network, a San-Francisco based… Uh, yeah, we don’t really know what they do yet. All we know is that they own a patent titled ‘Media file distribution with adaptive transmission protocols’, and was granted in 2007. While that’s way after the introduction of the BitTorrent protocol (2001), the patent was filed in 2009. The company is seeking damages and all that jazz.
Upon looking at the patent, it describes a system that doesn’t look like the BitTorrent protocol at all. The patent describes a system built around files stored on a central server, completely ignoring the many-to-many clients aspect that makes BitTorrent so immensely useful.
This certainly looks like a classic patent troll, and that’s already enough of a reason to hate them. While there is zero evidence at this point, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it would turn out that this Tranz-Send Broadcasting Network is just a front for some collaboration in the content industry – or, if that’s not the case, that the company will soon receive a big bag of money from them.
Other than uTorrent and BitTorrent, they are also suing Kontiki, Inc., which produces a business-oriented content delivery system, using technologies from the world of peer-to-peer and central server. This could be proof that the content industry has nothing to do with this (yet).
I’d love for the web to find out who is behind all this. All we know is that the company is supposed to have an office at 500 Pine St., San Francisco, CA 94108, at phone number 415-263-0949. Google Maps shows and empty lot at this location, but of course, Google Maps could be outdated.
More sure to follow.
Wait ’till I sue them for trademark violations. I own squiggly lines!
I own a patent on “a method that allows user determined arbitrary bidirectional communication over HTTP”. So I’m going to sue anyone that has ever created dynamic Web content. Even if it is just an email feedback form.
So was the patent filed in 2009? Or is this a typo and should be 1999?
First, thanks for the large comments which enabled me to post the full search that I conducted.
Using the information provided in the article I conducted the following search. The phone number search turned up the “relational” connection to the company CCG aka “Concept Construction Group” which had listed as their url, http://www.ccg-events.com, which takes one the similarly named (acronym wise) “Creative Communication Group Ltd” of which Jalal Dudin is the CEO. It seems that CCG provides production services for the entertainment industry. While not conclusive it is a plausible alleged POSSIBLE money man in a content related industry behind the scenes (pun intended). Note: it is remotely possible that the phone number changed hands – this needs to checked. I’ll let others take it from here.
Key Search Result That Makes the Relational Connection between phone number and web site of Jalal Dubin’s Entertainment Production Company:
“Concept Construction Group
1700 Montgomery St 111-skybase, San Francisco, CA 94111
p: 415 263 0949 f: 415 864 0306
http://www.ccg-events.com
About Concept Construction Group
We are a full service event management and production house that produces, organises and executes events and entertainment driven projects for corporate, government and private entities.”
http://www.hotfrog.com/Companies/Concept-Construction-Group
——– Search: Investigate Mode ———
Searching the address and phone number in the googler like so “500 Pine St., San Francisco, CA 94108 415-263-0949” turns up a page (http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Tranz.Send.Broadcasting.Netw…) that names this as “Tranz Send Broadcasting Network” and lists the company in the “Professional Services | News & Media | Radio” business.
Sounds like it’s a law or legal firm providing services to companies in the content and broadcasting business.
Another page (http://www.a2zcity.com/San+Francisco_CA/index-9.php) turns up this interesting tidbit: “Clickmovie Dot Com, San Francisco, CA 94102, Phone : (415) 263-0949, Product & Services: Broadcasting Companies Radio Stations & Broadcasting Companies”.
whois clickmovie.com turns up:
” Domain Name: CLICKMOVIE.COM
Registrar: MONIKER ONLINE SERVICES, INC.
Whois Server: whois.moniker.com
Referral URL: http://www.moniker.com
Name Server: BUY.INTERNETTRAFFIC.COM
Name Server: SELL.INTERNETTRAFFIC.COM
Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Status: clientTransferProhibited
Status: clientUpdateProhibited
Updated Date: 24-may-2011
Creation Date: 02-dec-1998
Expiration Date: 01-dec-2011
…
Domain Name: CLICKMOVIE.COM
Registrar: MONIKER
Registrant [164622]:
Domain Administrator [email protected]
17 Warren Road
Suite 1a
Baltimore
MD
21208
US
Administrative Contact [164622]:
Domain Administrator [email protected]
17 Warren Road
Suite 1a
Baltimore
MD
21208
US
Phone: +1.4438658254
Billing Contact [164622]:
Domain Administrator [email protected]
17 Warren Road
Suite 1a
Baltimore
MD
21208
US
Phone: +1.4438658254
Technical Contact [164622]:
Domain Administrator [email protected]
17 Warren Road
Suite 1a
Baltimore
MD
21208
US
Phone: +1.4438658254
Domain servers in listed order:
BUY.INTERNETTRAFFIC.COM
SELL.INTERNETTRAFFIC.COM
Record created on: 1998-12-02 00:00:00.0
Database last updated on: 2011-05-24 19:53:27.61
Domain Expires on: 2011-12-01 00:00:00.0
”
Visting http://www.ClickMovie.com turns up a blank generic advertisment domain name holding page with zero real content.
Searching for “Click Movie dot com” on the Googler turns up:
“About: Clickmovie Dot Com expert , located in San Francisco, CA 94102, enjoys an excellent reputation through years of business experience and has built stable business relationships with a great number of customers, our company address .
More infomation:
Street Address: Fax number: [more]
Zipcode & City: San Francisco, CA 94102 website: [more]
Phone : (415) 263-0949 Email: [more]
The adviced domains for Clickmovie Dot Com:
ClickmovieDotCom.com
Clickmovie-Dot-Com.com
ClickmovieDotComSanFrancisco.com
Clickmovie-Dot-Com-SanFrancisco.com”
http://www.businesszz.com/business151_153683/19_Clickmovie-Dot-Com-…
This radio company is at the same ZIP code. Related?
“Thomson Sedge
Category: Radio Stations [Edit]
San Francisco, CA 94102
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
(415) 664-9500”
http://www.yelp.com/biz/thomson-sedge-san-francisco
Searching just for the phone number “(415) 263-0949” turns up a number of pages (http://www.beautystaffs.com/San-Francisco-Event-Planners.asp?wpage=…) that list the company as an “Event Planners” not to mention this tidbit:
“Concept Construction Group
415 263 0949
San Francisco, CA
We are a full service event management and production house that produces, organises and executes events and entertainment driven projects for …”
Follow provided link:
“Concept Construction Group
1700 Montgomery St 111-skybase, San Francisco, CA 94111
p: 415 263 0949 f: 415 864 0306
http://www.ccg-events.com
About Concept Construction Group
We are a full service event management and production house that produces, organises and executes events and entertainment driven projects for corporate, government and private entities.”
http://www.hotfrog.com/Companies/Concept-Construction-Group
Visiting http://www.ccg-events.com one gets an impressive flash based web site.
While the initials of the Concept Construction Group (CCG) match the web site the name of the company on the web site is different, Creative Communication Group Ltd. Coincidence? Obfucation?
Clicking the links in the menu for “Company” then “Team” turns up one “Jalal Dudin, Managing Director”, “Deena Quotob, Admin & Events Manager” and “Venketaraman K, Finance Manager all from the “Management Team” menu. There are additional names listed in the “Technical Team” menu as well.
Looking on the “New” then “Articles” page one sees a number of links to other sites, and in these thubnails the company seems to be based in Doha, Qatar. “Qatar – Doha-based Creative Communication”…
“Creative Communication Group Boosts Its Clay Paky Range And
Takes It To The Doha Tribeca Film Festival
Thu at 7:37am
Doha-based Creative Communication Group (known in the market as “CCG”) has
recently purchased a large stock of the Clay Paky Alpha line to use at the Doha
Tribeca Film Festival, giving them the largest Clay Paky stock in the Middle East.
Adding to over 300 Clay Paky Alpha Series already in stock, CCG has recently
purchased 22 Alpha Beam 1500, 24 Alpha Spot HPE 1200, 24 Alpha Wash 1200 and 6
Alpha Profile 1200.
In early 2009, CCG was chosen by Clay Paky Italy to be the official agent and
presenter of the brand in Qatar. CCG is a thriving full-service event management and
production venture based in Qatar under the direction of Managing Partner Jalal
Dudin. In short, CCG is a major player in Qatar and the Middle East for live pro light
and sound rental requirements.
“Choosing Creative Communication Group to represent Clay Paky in Qatar is an
outcome of a long-term business relationship and we are so pleased to represent a
world level reference brand in the industry, †says Jalal Dudin.”
The above from a linked PDF file “Uk_Sound_and_Lighting_Community__Facebook.pdf”.
“Jalal Dudin
CEO, Creative Communication Group Ltd.
Creative Communication Group Ltd.”
Current: CEO at Creative Communication Group Ltd.
Education: Texas Wesleyan University
April 1998 – Present (13 years 3 months)
Jalal Dudin’s Education
Texas Wesleyan University
BS, Radio,TV,
It would hardly surprise me you found the correct company and it services the Entertainment industry.
At a past job, I worked on a product called ‘Fast File Transfer’ that originated from within the Entertainment industry – a joint effort between the company I worked for and Warner Bros, which produced a product called Picture Pipeline and incorporated the product I ended up working on. They originally made a variation of FTP – called International FTP – but then decided the FTP protocol wasn’t good enough and developed their own which became ‘Fast File Transfer’. When the two companies split, Warner Bros decided that my company couldn’t sell inside their industry – the rest of the world, however, was available.
So, why is the Entertainment industry (specifically Hollywood) looking for this kind of technology?
Well, years ago they’d go out to a location, shoot the film, and then send the reels back to Hollywood (via FedEx/UPS/etc) to be reviewed, edited, etc. That would have to be done before they left the site so that they could do retakes if necessary. However, as the world became more connected, and the Internet sprung up, this method of making films became more and more of a cost and time sink. They needed to be able to work collaboratively on a digital copy of a film in a meeting with people spread all around the world. Picture Pipeline solved that (for Warner Bros at least), with International FTP/Fast File Transfer providing the back-end file transfers – patents were filed in 1998 (search Interntional FTP) and 2001 (search Fast File Transfer) I believe; both granted, both 100% invalid (abstract, at the very least) and don’t reflect the actual product being used (it doesn’t do what the patents say it does). The software was used to produce some of the tech communities favorites – include The Matrix.
Okay, so what was it that they were looking to solve in the File Transfer portion? Why didn’t they just use WS_FTP, wget, etc?
The main problem they ran into was Satellite comms, and retries. No two products – e.g. WS_FTP vs. wget – at least at that time did very good on retrying file transfers especially over very poor, low-bandwidth communications mediums. (SatComm is particularly poor.) So they implemented their own resolutions. Needless to say, IMHO, the patents reflect what WS_FTP and others were already doing (e.g. multi-part file transfers) just using a different granularity (not specified in the patents).
Since this product is no longer on the market, a similar product is definitely required by Hollywood to help keep costs down – otherwise the Editing houses in Hollywood would start moving around the world, which Hollywood/Warner Bros wanted to keep from happening – they wanted it all centralized in Hollywood and just do the actual shoots remotely.
Now, there’s nothing to say that what Warner Bros sought in that effort didn’t finally happen – production/editing are certainly moving around the world, though probably at a slower pace. But regardless the technology there is useful as it means that they (e.g. Warner Bros, Universal, etc) can still work with the groups around the world and have at least some centralized authority back in California.
And I’m sure Warner Bros isn’t the only one looking that was looking to do that. The two efforts may very well be related in concepts and mechanisms that neither realized – thus further showing the invalidity of both sets of patents, etc.
[EDIT] Grammar correction – ‘an’ -> ‘and’
Edited 2011-06-20 17:49 UTC
I quickly read the patent, and it’s obviously unrelated.
The patent talks the whole time about media files, like video or audio, and concentrates on “adaptiveness”, which again, only makes sense on media files. For example, if the user has a slow connection, the server adapts to that and sends a lower quality version of the clip.
That’s not something BitTorrent does; the contents are never “adapted”, and can be anything, not necessarily media files.
Moreover, that concept is well understood in multimedia as QoS (or Quality of Service), which is very well studied in much more detail than that patent, and I don’t think there’s any patent on that.
I say not only it’s totally unrelated, but seems to be invalid, as there’s nothing there, just a bunch of buzzwords. They probably hope that something sticks to the wall.
Found the supposed infrigement.
Which is nonsense. That’s not what the patent is about, moreover, everything on the Internet is split on smaller chunks (as opposed to what?), so everyone would be violating that patent
how one would describe the X25 Packet Switching network.
Messages are split up by the Packet Disassebler and sent over the network. The route they take is variable and the order in which they arrive at the destination is also variable.
The Packet Assembler then puts them all together again.
If there are bits missing or corrupted the far end requests them again.
The patent lists one “Scott D. Redmond” of “San Francisco as the Inventor of the “Media File Distribution With Adaptive Transmission Protocol” and lists the assignee as “Trans-Send Broadcasting Network, Inc.” with a patent filing date of “April 16, 1999”.
A google search turns up quite a bit about this, ahem, “genius” Scott Douglas Redmond guy.
Let’s start with this, well let’s just say epic to the max, self promotional web site: http://www.scottredmond.com.
Ok, that’s a weird way to present oneself indeed.
His linked in profile lists among his patents the one in question:
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/scott-douglas-redmond/0/105/7b2
This following article is of particular note and interest. It would seem that Scott D. Redmond is behind this patent and lawsuit likely with the financial backing of others, maybe even Jalal Dudin (as their mutual phone number relation might suggest).
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_Jan_3/ai_584297…
“Tranz-Send and ClickMovie.com to Introduce MediaPocket and MediaMan At CES ? the First Internet Broadcast Studio That Fits in Your Pocket”
“Business Editors/High Tech Writers
CES 2000
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jan. 3, 2000
Tranz-Send Broadcasting Network will announce the upcoming release of the MediaPocket(TM) and the MediaMan(TM) media appliances at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 6, 2000. (CES Booth 7061) These two different devices are the first portable handheld appliances to enable users to view and interact with high quality wireless video webcasts as well as to create and broadcast multimedia productions, from the office, home or even while on the road.
The MediaPocket requires connection to a cell phone whereas the MediaMan is a self-contained wireless version. The MediaPocket can connect to the Internet using wireless phone technology along with existing radio and TV broadcast sub-carrier frequencies. The technology uses Tranz-Send’s second generation tranz-cast technology and can compatibly access most of the 240 million cell phones in the world. The MediaMan provides a wireless connection to the Internet via a variety of plug-in wireless modem modules and is also compliant with most wireless technologies including cell phones, Nokia Wireless Protocol, Motorola Wireless Protocol, Lucent signal arrays, BlueTooth and 802.11 HR. The devices will enable consumers to interact with outdoor media and make purchases or automatically acquire information from other media sources like radio broadcasts and kiosks using a proprietary proximity sensor.
For power reduction and user flexibility, both devices allow the LCD screen to be removed and replaced by a wearable screen such as the Sony (Nasdaq:SNE) Glasstron or the Olympus (Nasdaq:OLYOY) Eye-Trek computer eyewear.
The MediaMan and MediaPocket include a clip-on CMOS camera for capturing still and full motion digital video images, plus a full-featured electronic organizer that can send and receive data. The devices will use a proprietary technology called a Tranz-cast to send and receive full screen video content over a wireless Internet connection. A unique feature of these devices is their ability to recognize and interact with all types of outdoor media ranging from billboards to cooperative outdoor meetings or to simply purchase or capture products and information on the run. This innovative Tranz-cast technology was developed by ClickMovie.com’s parent company Tranz-Send Broadcasting Network. ClickMovie.com is also including their PersonalProducer LE software that enables users to easily create and edit their own video productions. The chipsets and operating systems for the device were developed by the Tranz-Send consortium of companies.
The MediaPocket and MediaMan are similar in shape and size to the 3Com (Nasdaq:COMS) Palm Pilot but includes a 320×240 pixel, 3” color LCD screen, CMOS video camera and revolutionary SmartCard that provides up to 12 minutes of video storage. Both products can connect to a regular TV set for full-screen video playback. The screen is large enough to use either a pen or your finger for organizer activation.
“Our new MediaPocket and MediaMan are the ultimate portable Internet appliances,” says Tranz-Send ClickMovie CEO Scott Redmond. “Not only can you now receive and view high resolution (320×240 pixel) video and multimedia media anywhere you are, you can now create and upload your own productions. At a trade show, business people can capture a video of a product, add some text and voice-over, and then send it via the Internet back to the home office.”
“These devices combine a portable TV and a computer and put it in the palm of your hand,” said Gregg Schoenborn, VP Business Development, who recently joined Tranz-Send from Universal Pictures where he was VP Business Development. “The MediaPocket and MediaMan leapfrog the evolution of PDA devices by leveraging Tranz-Send’s proprietary compression and distribution technology to deliver and send rich media content anywhere with wireless phone access. The MediaPocket and MediaMan are the next wave in personal communications.
The MediaPocket and MediaMan will be available summer of 2000 by various branded partners. MediaMan is a fully standalone device with everything — MSRP of $350.00. MediaPocket is all of Media Man minus the transceiver circuit and plus a cell phone cable — MSRP of $250.00.
More on Tranz-Send:
Tranz-Send Broadcasting Network is the parent company of the brand and trademark: ClickMovie.com. Its mission is to increase its lead as the premier provider of Internet broadcast technologies and services — providing home and business users with near DVD quality movies-on-demand, time-shifted television, business broadcasting, advertising exposure sales, and electronic music delivery. Tranz-Send will exploit other markets like distance learning, gaming, hi-definition medical imaging transfer, seismic data transfer and by licensing to partners with strong positions in these segments.
Tranz-Send’s main distribution technology, called a tranz-cast, was initially developed in the ’70s. A tranz-cast is not downloading, streaming or multi-casting, but rather a hybrid transmission system that provides a high speed, secure and piracy-proof connection via a telephone without a PC, satellite, cable/modem, set-top box, Internet/DSL, Web-TV, ATM/ETM, standard dial-up or even an antenna. Tranz-Send has developed or licensed over 42 technologies that enable it to deliver movies electronically to ClickMovie.com’s primary target: the TV set using the PC as a set-top box. For the content owner, Tranz-Send offers multiple layers of security including the Tranz-Send invented process that self-deletes digital media files after one viewing.
Currently Tranz-Send provides three sub-network websites, http://www.clickmovie.com, http://www.mypersonalTV.com and http://www.freetrailers.com. ClickMovie.com, not officially, fully launched until Jan. 20, is designed to be the ultimate online video and movie store and will provide “video-on-demand” access to films from all over the world. MyPersonalTV provides the opportunity for home and business video producers to create their own videos and to post them on line. Freetrailers.com offers subscribers over 2200 free movie trailers of top Hollywood features. The online Convergence Store(TM) features books, hardware and software that can be purchased online and shipped via standard mail and package delivery.
COPYRIGHT 2000 Business Wire
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning”
Of course this strange Gizmodo article comes up on a search for Scott Redmond of Peer Wireless. Weird stuff indeed.
http://gizmodo.com/5726071/the-greatest-scam-in-tech
http://gizmodo.com/5737088/the-greatest-scam-in-tech-scott-redmond-…
I do not know what to make of this all other than the hubris of the Patent and conceit of Scott D. Redmond are utterly stunning.
Does it smell like a financial scam to you?
Aren’t patent trolls supposed to be and to sue in Texas?
Edit:
According to pwlpwl, Jalal Dudin was educated in Texas Wesleyan University. That would explain everything.
Edited 2011-06-20 05:05 UTC
There’s a troll-huntin’ to be done… Long live the Human Flesh Search Engine!
http://www.chinasmack.com/glossary#人肉æœç´¢
Nice linked page !
why did the article on haiku disappear?
Thom wants to make a PG1 version.
So a program that is mostly being used to steal copyrighted software, movies and music is the subject of legal action.
Yeah, just about as funny as editors racketing public libraries.
This case will be resolved by the courts. It doesn’t matter who’s supporting the plaintiff. The patent is either applicable — or it isn’t. So, there’s no sense in worrying or wringing your hands over the situation…
If you run out of ideas and don’t like work, you can always sue somebody!
…what do LulzSec think of all of this ?
Kochise