Eye-Fi questions validity of Wireless LAN SD standard

WiFi-capable SD card company Eye-Fi has now made an official statement, making clear its position on the SD Association's new Wireless LAN SD standard. 

In a post on the company's blog, Eye-Fi CEO Yuval Koren states his belief that the standard would infringe upon Eye-Fi's patents. He goes on to claim that the SD Association has not followed its own rules in adopting Wireless LAN SD as a standard.

According to SD Association rules, Koren notes, member companies must be given 60 days to present intellectual property related to a draft standard, and to determine their plans regarding licensing. If licenses for all related IP aren't agreed, then the draft standard must be revised and resubmitted.

Koren's blog post makes it clear that Eye-Fi--an SD Association member--wasn't given that opportunity before the standard was announced. He further notes that Eye-Fi holds multiple patents essential to the standard as written, which he says were presented to the SD Association within the period defined by the body's rules.

In a fairly clear message to companies considering entering the Wi-Fi SD market, Koren refers to Wireless LAN SD as a "standard that doesn't exist", and suggests that early adopters would be in violation of Eye-Fi's patents.

Placing the ball firmly back in the SD Association's court, Koren wraps up by calling upon the association to respect its own processes. More details in the Eye-Fi blog post.