Group tries to rally 802.11 patents

Via Licensing is forming a group devoted to making licensing of 802.11-related patents easier and to increasing the use of wireless networking in a broader array of products. San Francisco-based Via said Tuesday that the group was in its initial stages of creating a joint licensing program. Via Licensing representatives would not disclose the names of the organization's potential members or the number participating. The companies have been deemed to hold patents essential to various 802.11 standards by an attorney at Fenwick & West. The group will meet again on April 14 and 15 in Tokyo, said Ron Moore, director of licensing at Via.

The effort could prove to be an exercise in corralling cats, since many 802.11 patent holders deem their property to be more valuable than that of their competitors and many are entangled in ongoing infringement suits. Suits have included Agere Systems against Intersil and Proxim against Intersil, as well as against Symbol Technologies, Standard Microsystems and Wayport. Intersil sold its wireless networking unit to GlobespanVirata late last year.

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