Icala elaqulwa namuhla ekuseni eNkantolo Ephakeme YaseMelika liqophe umlando. Ngokokuqala ngqa eminyakeni engama-230, iNkantolo yabamba izimpikiswano zomlomo ku-inthanethi. Lokhu kuvumele abantu abavela kuwo wonke umhlaba ukuthi bacule - ngesikhathi sangempela. Nakuba icala elithile elilalelwe linganakwa kakhulu kwabezindaba, empeleni icala lophawu lokuhweba elibaluleke ngendlela emangalisayo yile I-US Patent Office v. Booking.com.
UFara Sunderji unguzakwethu enkampanini yabameli bamazwe ngamazwe iDorsey & Whitney. I-Sunderji inolwazi olunzulu kuzo zonke izigaba zenqubo yokuphathwa komkhiqizo, okuhlanganisa ukukhethwa kwezimpawu zokuthengisa, imvume, ukushushiswa, ukugcinwa nokugcinwa komthetho kanye nokuqulwa kwecala. Ubelalele ingxabano bukhoma namhlanje ekuseni esuka eNew York futhi ukwazile ukuhlanganisa imicabango yakhe ngesikhathi sangempela.
“Ingxabano ibigcwele imibuzo eminingi evela kumaJaji, ngisho nakuJustice uThomas. Umbuzo wakhe wokugcina wawungoMashi ka-2019, eminyakeni emithathu ngemuva kowangaphambili. Njengoba kuvamile emhlabeni omusha wokusebenza ekhaya, ingxabano ayizange iqhubeke ngaphandle kwezihibe ezimbalwa zobuchwepheshe, okuhlanganisa uJustice Sotomayor owaqala imibuzo yakhe ngesikhathi esathule, ikhwalithi yomsindo engeyinhle evela kuJustice Breyer futhi ingxabano yathatha cishe i-15 imizuzu ubude kunebesihleliwe,” kusho uSunderji.
“Yize ezinye iziteshi zezindaba ziveze ukuthi ingqikithi yalolu daba isezingeni eliphansi, empeleni iyathakazelisa kakhulu ngezizathu ezimbalwa. Ngokusobala, kungokokuqala ukuthi iNkantolo Ephakeme isakaze impikiswano yomlomo bukhoma emlandweni wayo weminyaka engama-230.
“Indaba imayelana nokuthi inkampani ingakwazi yini ukuthola ukuvikeleka kophawu lwentengiso ngegama elijwayelekile (ukubhuka) lapho ingeza okuthi .com futhi umphakathi uqaphela ikheli lewebhu njengelihlonza ngokukhethekile uhlobo olulodwa. Ingxabano enkulu yayigxile esandulweni ngaphansi kwecala likaGoodyear, lapho i- inkantolo ephakeme eyabanjwa ngo-1888 ukuthi ukuhlanganisa igama elijwayelekile negama lenkampani (isb., Inkampani) akukwazi ukudala uphawu lokuhweba oluvikelekayo.
“Amajaji aphinde agxila ocwaningweni olwenziwe yi-Booking.com, inhlolovo yendabuko yophawu lwe-Teflon, eyabonisa u-75% wabaphenduli babheka i-Booking.com njengegama lomkhiqizo. Ukufunda amaqabunga etiye, imibuzo enzima ibisohlangothini lwe-USPTO, kodwa kusazobonakala ukuthi iNkantolo Ephakeme izoyinikeza yini i-Booking.com ngamalungelo ophawu lwentengiso osekunesikhathi iwafuna,” kusho u-Sunderji.
