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39 Web-Service Patents Snatched At Auction

Posted by timothy on from the except-my-candybars-are-being-sold-online-now dept.

JerryP writes "According to this article, an unknown firm called JGR Acquisitions has acquired some 39 patents that apply to a set of key technical protocols known as Web services. The patents offered for sale as part of the liquidation of Commerce One."

12 comments

  1. E-mail affected? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I hope this doesn't affect email. Those elderly Koreans will be sorely disappointed.

  2. Non-news by nonregistered · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Unless we know what patents changed hands, there's not much to see here. And, why would the new owner be any worse than the old to the future of the Internet?

    1. Re:Non-news by nonregistered · · Score: 3, Informative

      But TFA only says "a set of key technical protocols known as Web services". *What* web services?! FTP? Bittorrent? What're the patent numbers? There's no meat here! Oh, but wait... this is /.

    2. Re:Non-news by albalbo · · Score: 2, Informative

      Here is a list of patent application numbers:

      http://kwiki.ffii.org/?CommerceOne

      I think basically they have a load of US patents, and the applications above are the EU applications for the equivalent of what they already have in the US.

      A search on the USPTO database for that company and those inventors would probably yield a list of the Commerce One patents.

      I think some of them are going to be big-bucks patents too, sadly.

      European Patent News: European Council's bad 18th May "agreement" seems to have come unstuck:

      http://nosoftwarepatents.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php? t=233

      Oh dear. This might mean the EU doesn't get swpat after all.... ;)

      --
      "Elmo knows where you live!" - The Simpsons
  3. What? What? What? by St.+Arbirix · · Score: 2, Funny

    What did they have patents on???

    The article says "web services" about 10 times over and says many companies have been using them license free for ages and yet they won't say exactly what those web services are. If any cover Active Directory or LDAP (personal thing) I'm going to laugh. If any cover XML-RPC or SOAP I'll cry.

    Wait. I wouldn't cry.
    I have an assignment due tomorrow morning and I've been using XML-RPC to get it done. If they hurried up and threatened litigation I could probably get out of it...

    --
    Direct away from face when opening.
  4. The mysterious JGR Acquisitions and Mr X by Jumbo+Jimbo · · Score: 4, Informative
    The winning bidder was a company called JGR Acquisitions. An attorney representing JGR was mum about his client, dodging reporters' questions as he rushed out of the court room at the close of the auction.

    snip

    A document the company filed with the court was scarce on information as well, so JGR's business, its owners, its location and its plans for the newly acquired patents all remain mysteries.

    This sparked my curiousity so I googled them so see if there was any info. Not too much, but I came across this piece in the New York times on the same story, which says

    Mark X. Mullin, a lawyer for a Dallas law firm representing a company identified as JGR Acquisitions, put forth the winning bid. Mr. Mullin said he would file further details as required by the bankruptcy court.

    The mystery company has a real Mr X working for them (well, kinda stretching it). I was most impressed. Anyway, still couldn't dig up anything on JGR at all.

    1. Re:The mysterious JGR Acquisitions and Mr X by saintp · · Score: 3, Interesting

      There's a fair amount of info out there on Mark X. Mullin, who is apparently a Dallas-based business reorganization and bankruptcy lawyer with Haynes-Boone. In the year 2000, his rates were $320/hour. He currently serves as president of his local Inn of Court.

      --
      Another one bites the dust
    2. Re:The mysterious JGR Acquisitions and Mr X by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The acquiring company is probably just a shell company, which will then transfer the property over to the real company. It will be interesting to discover the real company's identity.

      JGR = Just Gouge & Rape...

    3. Re:The mysterious JGR Acquisitions and Mr X by webfiend · · Score: 1

      Not only is Mr X a lawyer, looks like he's an author of heartwarming tales such as I'll Make You an Offer You Can't Refuse - Coercive Plan Tactics and How Much Is That Doggie In The Window: Valuation Issues In Bankruptcy. Real warm and cozy stuff.

  5. No software patents in Europe. Keep it that way. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There are no software patents in Europe. Keep it that way. Otherwise this purchase will hurt industry on both continents rather than containing the damage.

  6. Because who acquires patents? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The new holder of a patent is that much more likely to be intent on exploiting the patent to harm the public good. That's why it's bad news.

    Of course, someone does occasionally hold/ acquire a patent to use for the benefit of the public good. But it is hard to think of an example [even of where it was neutral to the public good] and harder still to find anyone who shells out money to do so.

    The kind of people who acquire patents is pretty consistently the exploitative bad-egg type.