Real Estate Search and Location System and Method

I recently received an article about the ongoing litigation involving REAL and ReMax agent Diane Sarkisian and the alleged infringement of "Real Estate Search and Location System and Method". I wish I knew who the article was from (it came without any sig or reply address, however, the case is definitely of interest... also of signifigance is that someone has patented a "location system and method". The article read as follows: In this 2005 lawsuit, patent holder Real Estate Alliance Ltd, (REAL), alleged that ReMax agent Diane Sarkisian of Pennsylvania infringed US Patents 4870576 and 5032989; “Real Estate Search and Location System and Method”. The claims of these patents cover an online property location process that has become a de facto standard throughout the industry by using interactive zoomable maps to locate available real estate properties. So can an agent actually be sued for something everybody already uses? The answer is simpler than you might expect. YES! For more on this topic see http://www.rismedia.com/wp/2007-03-20/mapping-patent-lawsuit-truth-or-troll/  - imagine if every real estate search portal was infringing on a search patent... ouch!