Process Of Sending Mobile Info On Request Patented

I think this may annoy people…a company called AllisBlue has won a European patent which allows “anybody to send AllisBlue a request for digital content by a simple phone call, SMS or WAP session and to automatically receive the requested information by e-mail and/or on their mobile phone”. The company expects a US patent to be issued shortly. This is from the press release:

Description of the claims covering the collection of information
Claim 7 of the patent describes the following steps for retrieving a digital content proposed by a third party:

  • The person requesting the content (the recipient) enters into connection with the AllisBlue application (a phone call, a text message or a WAP session);
  • The recipient is identified by his/her mobile phone number;
  • The recipient identifies the content he wants to retrieve;
  • The application either associates the recipient’s mobile phone number with his/her e-mail address in order to send the requested content or the application creates an Internet address (URL), parametrized with the person’s mobile phone, and from this it will be possible to download the content.
  • The patent does not specify what device the recipient will use to consult his/her e-mail or URL. They could therefore equally well be consulted using either a PC or a mobile phone.

AllisBlue Patent Graph
I haven’t looked at the patent (and would appreciate an expert in the area checking it out) but it seems to be very basic, and many systems in use may already ‘violate’ it…
The release says the patent has “Great prospects: Valorisation going up to 4 billion Euros per annum” and “Division of value (WIN-WIN) for all the actors : mobile operators, SMS providers”.
It’s possible I’ve misread it and the company has no plans to sue companies in the same way Freedom Wireless is suing over its prepaid mobile patent, but it’s worth keeping an eye on…

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