Slashdot Mirror
Under Attack by PanIP's Patent Lawyers?
Matthew Catalano, of the Dickson Supply Company, asks: "I work for a small plumbing, heating, irrigation, and BBQ supply house. Over the past four we have built up quite a website that houses tons of information and offers many products for sale via an online store. Recently a company known as PanIP has decided to sue us on 2 counts of patent infringement. To the best of my understanding, as you can see from their website, they claim that they invented the use of text and images as a method of business on the Internet. They also claim that they invented the use of a form to enter customer information. Obviously this is ridiculous and most likely won't hold up in court! However, this is not the problem. PanIP has also sued 10 other small companies. PanIP chose small companies because they hope that none of them can afford the legal fees that would ultimately remove their patents. Most defendants, including us, want to opt to bail out for a smaller licensing fee of $30,000. PanIP will continue this vicious cycle on small companies of which many of you may become victim of. Eventually they will have so many cases under their belt that they will be able to attack larger companies." Yet again, the USPTO is used as a weapon in the free market. When will someone get a clue and put a stop to this type of digital extortion?
"I am hoping to release this story to the press so that the US Patent office finally wakes up, but the media is unpredictable and unreliable in terms of which stories they encapsulate. If there is anyone out there who has any ideas about stopping PanIP or can help us out in any way it would be appreciated. Otherwise, just pass this along to everyone you know and hopefully something will come of it.
There is also a page we have constructed that reveals some more details."
When will someone get a clue and put a stop to this type of digital extortion?
Easy:
Most defendants, including us, want to opt to bail out for a smaller licensing fee of $30,000.
When people stop making money by patenting fake things and suing people and making money.
but the media is unpredictable and unreliable in terms of which stories they encapsulate.
If you have a problem, if no one else can help you, and if you can get them to accept your submission, maybe you can hire ASK SLASHDOT!
Otherwise, just pass this along to everyone you know and hopefully something will come of it.
Chainmail! The solution to all of life's problems...
[o]_O
Their Web site is cleverly designed to use a minimum of text and graphics, as well as containing almost no actual information, making it very difficult to bring down by Slashdotting. They really are sneaky, aren't they?
Guess I'll just have to go do an old-fashioned DDoS instead....
PanIP's patents page uses hyperlinks. Is British Telecom still suing sites for using hyperlinks?
Their site also uses the GIF image format. Doesn't some company sue others because of the LZW patent?
There must be some way to use one company's frivoluous patents against another company's frivolous patents.
I patented the process of using the internet to search for unsuspecting small companies likely to fold under patent infringement lawsuits.
Might as well make that check out to me..
Theres only one way out of this.
Chip in enough to buy one of those "Predator" unmanned aircrafts with two hellfire-c missiles.
Ask PanIP lawyers to get everyone who wants a "piece of the pie" to meet you at the PanIP office at Monday morning 10:00
Program the "Predator" to drop its load on the PanIP coordinates on 10:15 AM on Monday (Give them 15 mins to get their coffee).
Case over. You would have troubles from lawyers no more.
Rapid Nirvana
Everyone knows it was Al Gore who invented that!!!
http://www.missionfaces.com/
How about these three words? La Cosa Nostra.
Get somebody to have an informal conversation with PanIP's leader about the health benefits of leaving your company alone.
They should know that the benefits are many: continued orthapedic mobility, original dentition, full use of digits. It's a family plan, too -- his or her daughter or son retain the dignity and innocence they've always enjoyed. And it's an umbrella that can even extend to one's car, home and other prized personal possessions which are so often the victim of unplanned catastrophes like fires and explosions.
You would think that someone that would make a business out of patent enforcement would eventually run into someone who can play that game a lot better. Extortion and strong-arm tactics with lawyers is generally the gateway to extortion and strong-arm tactics with guys with funny accents and a bad sense of humor.
requires two new moderation categories. IANAL -1 and LegalOpinion +1.
These PanIP guys are so 'l33t and have been in this business innovating for so long that they use super-proprietary WebBot(R) technology on their website!
--<snip>--
<!--webbot bot="Include" U-Include="navbar.htm" TAG="BODY" startspan -->
--</snip>--
Someone should alert Microsoft that Frontpage is in clear violation of....
Oh, never mind...
How about a patent on relating information from one entity to another? We could patent the senses.
Wallace Lockwood
5935 Folsom Dr
La Jolla, CA 92037-7326
(858) 454-4475