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MSNBC Looks At Patent Abusers' Victims

Posted by timothy on from the does-the-uspto-count-as-a-conspirator dept.

Camel Pilot writes "Patent claims have reached a new low when "inventor" Witold Ziarno sued the American Red Cross for using the web to accept donations. This MSNBC article discusses this case and how it was beat using web archives and prior art! Also Pangia Intellectual Property has given up hope on extracting fees from small e-commerce websites for its supposedly patent on e-commerce. The only problem with the PanIP case is that they got away without having to pay for the legal fees for the defense in an obvious abuse of the system." (See this previous post for more on PanIP's dropped case.)

12 of 231 comments (clear)

  1. Leech by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I hope the Red Cross sues the dude and demands blood for repayment.

    1. Re:Leech by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      But you do know that laywers can get blood from stone...?

    2. Re:Leech by Mycroft_VIII · · Score: 5, Funny

      Sheesh, talk about context based wierdness. I suddenly got an image of a village of vampires hiring a lawyer to sue over a sudden blood shortage in thier hometown.

      Mycroft

      --
      https://signup.leagueoflegends.com/?ref=4c3ed6600b6ea
  2. Re:Very strange by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    its ok. no one does.

  3. Re:no conscience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Next I hear he's going after charities which don't comply with the GPL!

  4. Spam Patent by l0ungeb0y · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm surprised that no one has filed suit claiming ownership of a patent which describes the mechanisms of email based spam.

    You'd think with the DoJ and corporate suits out and about, someone would be trying to cash out on their chips. ...of course claiming ownership of spam would not be too handy for your image, but if you're a patently litigious batage image probably isn't a 10th as important as the payola.

    In fact, a spam patent is probably the one item I wouldn't mind seeing used and abused through the legal system.
    Yeah... hypocrosy, but it's the thought that counts right?

    Right? :P

  5. PanIP LLC? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    LLC.. Low Life Cunts?

    I know, the "Life" bit is a tad extreme.

  6. this isn't the first time by dncsky1530 · · Score: 1, Funny

    many things get pattented before even invented or widely used, look at:

    communications satelites in 1945
    MS patents zeros and ones
    and many more...

  7. Re:no conscience by OglinTatas · · Score: 1, Funny

    I would however blame the US patent system for allowing jarheads to patent trivial things

    They let anyone patent trivial things, not just Marines. Back off, swabbie!

    --
    More music, fewer hits
  8. Re:no conscience by UnifiedTechs · · Score: 2, Funny

    blame the US patent system for allowing jarheads to patent trivial

    As a former US Marine I am appalled at your use of the word JarHead in a sentance with these scum, I will overlook any uses such as "We should send in the JarHeads to bomb these 419ers into atoms!"

    --
    iRepairIT - iPhone, Mac, & PC Repair
  9. MS in MSNBC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Shouldn't MSNBC complain about the patent on a button that acts a certain way when pressed at a certain length of time? Oh wait, the NBC in MSNBC just got sued by the MS part.

  10. Re:no conscience by Theatetus · · Score: 2, Funny
    How does he sleep at night?

    On a big pile of money, surrounded by beautiful women.

    --
    All's true that is mistrusted