"The tests we have been discussing ar just several which come into play in determining where the line is drawn between properly extending from a patent and infringing upon it.  e.Digital is going to draw that line in one place and the alleged defendants will draw it in another. The court will decide ultimately where the line will be drawn."

Every thing you state is, again, understandable.

Drawing the line is where it's at.

I think that SP's thoughts are right on with regard to why e.Digital will review references to their patents.

Keep in mind that e.Digitals patents deal with a serial process. Devising an OS that deals with its inferior ability,  compared to the utility of the parallel process,  has not been at the top of the development list for the industry at large.

It has only been in the past 7 to 10 years,  that the industry has turned its attention to it and, for the most part, they have not bothered to go to the degree that Norris/Daberko have gone.

They have set a foundation to the process....this is where the line will be drawn and the reason reference to there ideas will be reviewed.

At the same time this is happening, developments are being pushed in the NAND(serial) memory discipline...to the point that Intel has set out to spear head an initiative for standards.

Standards that no one cared about till just recently.

doni