In what may be the beginning of the "RFID Wars," a small company called RFID World, whose business appears to be owning U.S. Patent No. 6,967,563 -- "Inventory Control System" -- is taking on the world of RFID users. RFID World has brought suit against Wal-Mart, Gillette, Michelin, Home Depot, Target and Pfizer in (surprise!) the Eastern District of Texas for these companies' use of those tiny "tags" used for, among other things, inventory control. Although Bormaster's patent lists as embodiments such pedestrian uses as finding a golf club removed from a bag, or locating a lost cow, he now apparently sees an opportunity in suing everyone who may be using this technology in any form. Although there is some controversy as to whether he may have prior art problems, his attorneys are confident that he may have filed early enough and broadly enough to "tag" the entire retail industry.
Hey, it worked for Jerry Lemelson -- why not here?
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