Sorry, I just didn't detect any humourous intentions in the post. I'll keep an eye out in future. 

I'm not surprised 'cause it wasn't supposed to be funny. Keep your eyes in.

That's pretty funny. 

There's nothing wrong with patents.  But there is something wrong with patent trolls.  If you look at the patent, it was actually filed on January 31, 2001.  Or 22 days after iTunes was released.  To me, it seems this guy just saw how things were progressing and filed a patent for the general idea of an online store.  Of course, it seems he did nothing with it himself and just waited for 8 years to sue anybody.  I guess he picked Sony and Apple because they both make several different products that use the same store, as well as own the store.  Though, technically, any store whose products can be used on more than one type of device falls under this category.

Another possibility is this guy wasn't talking about an online store at all.  He calls it a Data Vending System and also speaks of distributing analog audio (cassettes and/or records), using card readers for payment, as well as using removable HDDs, CDs/DVDs, and flash drives to obtain the data.  I'm wondering if he is actually discribing an actual vending machine that would possibly put into stores so you could pay for and download digital items onto a drive or disc and also store cassettes for purchase.  Remember, it wasn't til late '02 when most recording companies started to stop production of audio cassettes.

What exactly is being copied

I did some checking and that firm seems semi-legit (unless it has someone scrubbing its reputation online). And the suit was not filed in North Texas, so it could be more interesting than it looks.

But then again, the firm has three or four press releases about on-going IP lawsuits, so it could be that it has found tht patent suing is profitable.

Mike from Morgantown

Unbless you're a no win no fees lawyer then suing is always profitable for a lawyer, no matter whether you client wins or loses. Sure, it's more profitable if your clients win occasionally, but a law firm only needs one big win and the windfall will keep the partners in their gin palaces for a good few years.

Patent suing for lawyers is a bit like the lottery, only with much better odds of getting the bit one.

Yea, I think that's when  patent troll is most obvious.  The wait almost a decade without doing anything with their own patent, then when someone gets rich by doing something similar (in this case, it's pretty obvious this is the method companies would use to sync their devices to one account/store), they sue.  Then again, I still think he was originally talking about an actual "vending machine" kiosk in stores where one could purchase music, movies, and games and download them to flash drives.  But, when that didn't turn out to be where things were headed, he's making it out to be like he invented online stores.