SiSTeR Technologies Granted a Patent for the Pictures-To-Video

[Jeff Kershner]

I don't usually allow industry industry press releases migrate over to the homepage of DealerRefresh but this one has a few red flags being thrown up...

Some believe that SiSTeR will use this patent to place a strain on other vendors offering a like service. I can't imagine this being true or how someone could have a patent on "moving photos" that would effect others...

What do you think?

SiSTeR Technologies Granted a Patent for the Pictures-To-Video (Pic2Vid) Process

Auto Retailers Now Have the USPTO Recognition for Their Favorite Vehicle Video Solution

SiSTeR Technologies, the premier provider of automated video production, distribution and vSEO for auto retailers, manufacturers, and industry partners today announced that it was granted a United States Patent for its Pic2Vid process which has powered their videos since 2004.

The patent, number 7882258 titled “System, Method and Computer Readable Medium For Creating a Video Clip” covers the automated production of video files from still images, text and pre-recorded audio. This eliminates the need for the traditional labor-intensive manual process. Using Pic2Vid, also known as “Pictures to Video” or “Pictures Stitching Video” as core production, SiSTeR provides its clients with cutting edge video marketing solutions that integrate easily into existing online and mobile platforms including third party sites, YouTube, Google and Facebook.

Israel Alpert, co-founder and CEO of SiSTeR Technologies said, “The publication of our patent by USPTO on February 1stwas great timing, as the 2011 National Auto Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Expo in San Francisco opens this week.” Israel continued, “SiSTeR’s leadership and innovation is, has always been, and will continue to be our number one priority. I’m looking forward to some great conversations at NADA with our current and future partners and customers.”

Recently, SiSTeR entered into a significant contract with an OEM affiliate to provide SiSTeR video products to their dealer network. Currently SiSTeR adds more than 200 dealers a month to its client base. They are expecting that number to grow significantly as they continue to push the barriers of innovation and redefine what the industry knows as a video solution.

Through its direct and indirect networks, SiSTeR serves more than 5,000 automotive dealers, and generates more than 250,000 video clips a month, distributing them to over 30 media and social network channels on the Internet.

In light of the patent development, SiSTeR is looking forward to establishing mutually beneficial relationships with any company currently using, or considering using the technology or process covered in the patent.

About SiSTeR Technologies:
SiSTeR Technologies, based in Dallas, TX is the premier provider of automated video production, distribution and vSEO for auto retailers, manufacturers, and industry partners. SiSTeR provides its clients with cutting edge video marketing solutions that integrate easily into existing online and mobile platforms including third party sites, YouTube, Google and Facebook.

SiSTeR developed the Pic2Vid process that creates video using still images and TrueVoice ™ technology several years ago and has been licensing it to many resellers and business partners since 2005. Recently, SiSTeR was awarded a US patent that covers the automated production of video files from still images, text and pre-recorded audio eliminating the need for laborious manual process. Contact Information: Call 972-855-3500 or visit http://www.sister.tv

 

[@tuneyfish]

Heres a good post on Software Patent Absurdity - http://www.feld.com/wp/archives/2010/05/software-...

 

[@axsnyder]

This one has come up a few times from different people this week. I'm no patent lawyer, but a slideshow with a voiceover isn't exactly velcro. Wonder what Ken Burns thinks - lol.

 

[Bill]

I wonder how UnityWorks and AutoTrader will feel about this.

 

[Jay]

It won't affect them at all. You can patent software but not a process. If a company creates it's own software technology then it's ok. Sister and Unity Works I believe have different software. This would be like me saying I am going to get a patent for giving customers test drives to try and sell the car. It can only be for the software...not the process.

 

[Richard (blog)]

Jay, you can patent a process according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Companies get away with having a trademark on a name so others are unable to use it in a way that would mislead people to believe they are working/shopping with the unintended business.

I still can't see how this would cause any issues with other vendors offering the same type of service. This is a process but the process is based on a software and unless the other services are using the same type of software, I would think they will be just fine. However, I can see how a company could try and prove that the other services ARE using a technology that infringes upon theirs, causing headaches for others.

We're not the only vertical that uses swiping photos for videos.

 

[JohnScott]

Im confused, it looks as if they're just taking an image and panning left to right with a voice over.

Couldnt that easily be done with a basic script?

 

[Tired of the Hype]

I'm hopeful that no one writing on or commenting on this blog is advising dealers or vendors on patent liability. The Sister patent is HUGE and anyone who is using similar processes and not bowing to them (like Dealer.com, Unity, Dealer Specialties, etc...) could find themselves in court.

You CAN patent a process, and that's what these guys did. As much as I am not a fan of Sister, they did try to work with all of the companies I named above and all of them told them to pound sand - "we can build it ourselves." Oops.

 

[Alex Snyder (blog)]

Your mention of competing companies and the interactions they had with Sister Technologies is all speculation. IF letters are exchanged between attorneys and IF court cases/settlements are made then we'll know the outcome.