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Profiting From A Vague Patent HOWTO
tunabomber writes "IEEE Spectrum has an in-depth article about the rise of Acacia Research Corporation and its plan for enforcing its patent on 'Digital Media Technology' (which seems to lay claim to any technology that transmits audio or video digitally for entertainment purposes). You may recall that there was a story on Slashdot over a year ago about Acacia's threats and subsequent lawsuits against some small adult entertainment companies regarding their violation of the patent. There was also an Ask Slashdot posted a while back by the owner of one of these companies who had received a letter from Acacia Research demanding that they pay licensing fees. Both Slashdot stories asked how long it would be until Acacia went after the big media companies. Well, they finally did last week. It appears that Acacia just had to get enough companies (Disney and Virgin Radio, among others) to pay licensing fees before they could afford a legal adventure against the big guys. DirectTV, Comcast, Echostar, and Charter Communications are some of the defendents. Let the fireworks begin!"
"Won't somebody PLEASE think of the children!"
Don't Tread on Me
1. Become a lawyer
2. Profit
Thats all well and good, provided you can find a doctor who will service your sorry ass when it doesn't work right anymore.
There is a move afoot in the medical profession to deny all but emergency services to known civil lawyers. Its the doctors way of fighting back for the $300,000 a year the lawyers have managed to drive their malpractice insurance up to. And frankly, I can't say as I blame the doctors.
Cheers, Gene