Despite having all the intelligence at their disposal, human beings haven’t able to keep themselves from making a mistake. The same has already proven quite a few times throughout our history, with each testimony practically forcing us to look for a defensive cover. We will, on our part, find the stated cover once we bring dedicated regulatory bodies into the fold. Having a well-defined authority across each and every area was a game-changer, as it instantly concealed our many shortcomings, and consequentially, gave us a shot at all those possibilities that we couldn’t have imagined otherwise. However, the utopia to emerge here will soon dissipate into thin air, and if we are to tell you why, it was very much technology’s fault. You see, the moment technology and its layered nature took over the scene, they provided everyone with an unprecedented chance to fulfil their ulterior motives at the expense of others. In case this wasn’t devastating enough, the whole runner started to materialize on such a massive scale that it expectantly overwhelmed our governing forces and sent them back to the drawing board. After spending a long time in the wilderness, though, the regulatory contingent finally seems ready to make a comeback. The stated dynamic has only turned more and more evident over the recent past, and a new case involving Meta promises to take it another step forward.
A Texas federal court has formally ordered Meta to pay Voxer, a company known for its walkie-talkie technology, damages worth $175 million in relation to a lawsuit that accused the tech behemoth of patent infringement. According to certain reports, it was Voxer founder, Tom Katis, who developed the relevant patented technology for helping people in the battlefield with stuff like transmission of live voice and video communications. The company’s official app, Walkie Talkie, launched back in 2011, and as soon as it did, it encouraged Meta to propose a strategic collaboration. Now, while the talks didn’t result in a partnership, what they did rather effectively was to inform Meta regarding all the important elements of Voxer’s technology. Armed with this critical knowledge, the social media giant hatched out a plan that got underway when it revoked Walkie Talkie app’s access to some key Facebook components, including the “Find Friends” feature. The company then followed that by launching Facebook Live, which was, of course, built around Katis’ brainchild.
As per Voxer’s claims, it did try to raise the issue with Meta, but instead of agreeing a deal to use the patent, the company just doubled down on its infringement by launching Instagram Live in 2016, causing Voxer to take a legal action.
Nevertheless, Meta, despite court’s call, has still not admitted to any wrongdoing. In fact, it is now planning to appeal the decision soon.
“We believe the evidence at trial demonstrated that Meta did not infringe Voxer’s patents,” a Meta spokesperson said. “We intend to seek further relief, including filing an appeal.”
