NEWS10 November 2009
US— An online focus group patent held by data collection firm Itracks is valid, according to the US Patent and Trademark Office – undermining claims made by rival company Artafact.
Itracks says it has been issued with a Reexamination Certificate upholding the validity of patent number 6,256,663, which relates to a system and method for conducting online focus groups using remotely located participants.
Rival Artafact had sought a review of the patent earlier this year claiming it was invalid, after the company had been sued by Itracks for allegedly infringing the patent with its Online Focus Group software and Diary Bulletin Board products.
California-based Artafact could not be reached for comment today. In a statement, Itracks president and CEO Dan Weber (pictured) said: “We believe the Patent Office’s decision confirming all the originally issued claims of the ’663 patent should eliminate any doubt about the validity of our patent.”
Legal action between the two firms was put on hold awaiting the outcome of the Patent Office review. An Itracks spokesman told Research it was hoping for “an amicable settlement” of the dispute and that settlement terms had been offered to Artafact.
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4 Comments
E. David Zotter
16 years ago
It is patents like this that are truly ridiculous.
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Pete Comley
16 years ago
Totally agree with Zotter on this. Americans showing themselves to be lunatics again. It completely undermines US credibility around the world, when their Patent Office accept such patents and then, against all sense, uphold them. I for one will never now use ITracks. I suggest we all boycott them in protest.
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Anon
15 years ago
winder if they want to patent email also???? so stupid - also what do the patent people know?? crazy --
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janet
15 years ago
laughable. what were all those online chat applications doing way back in 1992 if iTracks can really claim a patent for online text communication between remotely located participants? what a crock. but maybe AOL will sue iTracks and we can finally get to the bottom of who "invented" online research interviews. Someone should really tell this lady! http://www.mariansalzman.com/
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