Streaming Patent Buoys RealNetworks

rishimathew writes writes to tell us The New York Times is reporting that RealNetworks recently received a patent for a specific way to stream multimedia content over the internet. From the article: "The patent, which is described as being for a 'multimedia communications system and method for providing audio on demand to subscribers' (No. 6,985,932), describes the idea of permitting a PC user to play back audio, video and other information on a PC. RealNetworks executives said the technology was distinguished from other similar systems by the fact that it permitted "intelligent" streaming of data in potentially congested networks."

Yet More Patent Abuse.

[TooMuchEspressoGuy]

"The patent, which is described as being for a 'multimedia communications system and method for providing audio on demand to subscribers' (No. 6,985,932), describes the idea of permitting a PC user to play back audio, video and other information on a PC. RealNetworks executives said the technology was distinguished from other similar systems by the fact that it permitted "intelligent" streaming of data in potentially congested networks."

What do you want to bet that RealNetworks is going to use this patent to sue anyone else who develops an "intelligent" method of streaming data?

WTF is streaming exactly?

[Anonymous Coward]

There was me thinking TCP/IP already had flow control and packet prioritization. Let's call a spade a spade here, digital media is just data and traffic shaping has been around for years. What do Real think they have a patent on exactly and can I interest them in a bridge?

Re:Yet More Patent Abuse.

[Ilgaz]

They can of course use it against Microsoft windows media division. A division invented NOTHING (yes, everything you see are licensed/acquired) and tried to drive the real inventors like real networks/apple quicktime out of business using Windows monopoly.

These are my words with bad grammar but they are based on facts found by EU court.

I hope the real reason behind this patent is that. Against "windows media 11 with intellisense technology". "The great invention you can download with 1 click in Vista".

Real is perhaps "evil" but they really did some great stuff. Same goes for Quicktime of Apple. Quicktime is the most "evil" division in Apple but they did amazing things and remember what Ballmer said about it.. Knife the baby etc.

Re:I think

[ScrewMaster]

This is ridiculous. Modems have have had fall back and fall forward for years, by "intelligently" sensing line conditions and adjusting automatically for maximum throughput. This is hardly "novel". Has anyone actually seen a truly novel patent recently? I'd just like to know that people are still filing them.