SPB is a company that sells add-ons to a competing product, notably Windows Mobile smartphones. They did legally apply for and recieve a patent for their technology years ago, and it's "unique" features. I put that in quotes because that is for a court to decide. I happen to use the SPB keyboard on my HTC Touch smartphone, and it works well enough.
Whether or not a court rules for or against them, they are certainly not trolls who try to patent everything under the sun, or buy patents simply to sue. They get a very high percentage of their revenue of their SPB Keyboard (they have other suites of Windows Mobile products as well, like dashboards, office apps, etc.), and they probably think that they have built something of value. And, crucially, it was on the market years before the iPhone ever came to even the first prototype. Maybe a valid claim, maybe not - but they certainly are NOT just trolls spamming lawsuits.
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SPB not exactly a "troll"...
SPB is a company that sells add-ons to a competing product, notably Windows Mobile smartphones. They did legally apply for and recieve a patent for their technology years ago, and it's "unique" features. I put that in quotes because that is for a court to decide. I happen to use the SPB keyboard on my HTC Touch smartphone, and it works well enough.
Whether or not a court rules for or against them, they are certainly not trolls who try to patent everything under the sun, or buy patents simply to sue. They get a very high percentage of their revenue of their SPB Keyboard (they have other suites of Windows Mobile products as well, like dashboards, office apps, etc.), and they probably think that they have built something of value. And, crucially, it was on the market years before the iPhone ever came to even the first prototype. Maybe a valid claim, maybe not - but they certainly are NOT just trolls spamming lawsuits.