Looking more into the lawsuit, it lists several APP makers as defendants along with Apple. . . for in-app purchases. Apparently under their theory it is the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Mac themselves that are the "dongle" connection for the app to make the purchase connection with the iTunes Music and App stores . . . quite a stretch of logic to apply their "invention" to a computer, a music player, a smartphone, and a tablet. . . which uses software. As I said, it is the BUSINESS MODEL PATENT which is being applied. The references at the bottom of the patents make that obvious. . . as does the need for BOTH ends of the pipeline to buy into the technology which is what sank SmartFLash as a physical product in the first place, its business model.
Now that many other companies have come up with a different business models that work, but actually do not USE the SmartFlash described techniques, they are trying to claim they invented the entire secure purchasing over the Internet to one device from another or from the internet. Just because there are superficial similarities does not make the approaches the same.
...as does the need for BOTH ends of the pipeline to buy into the technology which is what sank SmartFLash as a physical product in the first place, its business model.
It appears in retrospect that what sank SmartFlash is that it was quickly superseded by better implementations, and the fact that it was a tough sale at the time.
Regardless of the suit, Apple exceeded SF by leaps and bounds even as SF was struggling to get off the ground.
And now they've got ApplePay, which will change the game again.