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OLPC Lawsuit-Bringer Has Past Fraud Conviction
d0ida writes "The Boston Globe has up an article about LANCOR's lawsuit over the design of the OLPC's keyboard. 'Negroponte said the lawsuit is without merit, because OLPC uses a keyboard programming technique developed in 1996, long before the Nigerian patent was filed. The founder of Lagos Analysis Corp., Ade Oyegbola, was convicted of bank fraud in Boston in 1990 and served a year in prison. Oyegbola insists his Nigerian patent is legitimate and said he plans to file a copyright-infringement lawsuit against OLPC in an American court.'"
Party on...
FP
What?
PJ, release the hounds!
The link to "uses a keyboard programming technique developed in 1996" links to the TFA, which says no more about it than the link text. If you're going to title a link as that, then it should lead to the technique in question...
If someone is violating your PATENT, the first thing you should do is file a COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT lawsuit! Makes perfect sense!
Assuming it was the dude himself who said that, and it's not a mistake by the journalist, I wonder why this is even news worthy?
If you can't tell the difference between patents and copyright even though you actually have a patent, well, it's reasonable to suspect he is a few bits short of a byte.
Not firing on all cylinders. Loco in the cabeza. Dull, dim or dysfunctional. A walking echo chamber. A death star short of an evil empire, and no boba fett either.
Who woulda thunk?
09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B - D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
Same difference...I'm sure an American court won't get hung-up on the semantics.
It doesn't matter. Every time someone files a lawsuit, a lawyer gets his wings.
What?
"Negroponte said.."
"Oyegbola said.."
Where's the hard news, here? This just has a tattle-tale, tabloid feel to it. Who greenlit the story?
There's a Starman, waiting in the sky / He'd like to come and meet us, but he hasn't got the time.
I get that a US patent can be litigated in any district the alleged infringer trades in (thus the reason for the eastern district of Texas). But a patent from Nigeria? Shouldn't this be tried, um, in Nigeria or the WTC?
Nigeria Registered Design Patent # RD8489Design patents are dumb. If you're gonna run a scam, why not go whole hog and assert a utility patent?
Also, Nigeria has a Patent Office? (I can see it now: "A method and device to facilitate the international transfer of funds from internet enabled persons")
riaWell, that explains why I never got my 47 million dollars. I guess he was trying to put it in the wrong bank.....I don't live anywhere near Boston. I was quite specific when I returned his email.
Wow, with that patent, they could sue RIAA while they're at it...
(although I could still be dreaming, did I wake up this morning?)
Unfortunately, the bank has temporarily frozen his bank accounts, but if someone could send him $5000 to cover the fees and fines...
[I couldn't resist.]
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
What most people seem to forget about, we're here talking about a design patent. Now IANAL, however I have learned a little (really a little) about patents.
There are a few issues here, that do not make sense. This is about a Nigerian patent, and patents are regional. A Nigerian patent is not valid in the US and the other way around. Within each country one has to apply for a separate patent. I wonder how they think they can sue over a Nigerian patent in a US court. They should sue in a Nigerian court instead.
Furthermore as it is a Nigerian patent, it will not influence the alleged patented product sold outside of Nigeria. Again, US courts do not come into the picture.
And then it is a design patent. This is not an invention as such, and quite close to copyright. I have to say I forgot how a design patent works exactly, but if it looks different, even though it works following the same technical principle, then it is no problem. Machines are typical objects that are patented for design.
This whole story sounds like a big mess of FUD to me, from someone who has done presumably great work to develop some input method for the Nigerian language, and now tries to cash in on that via dubious methods. I really hope the OLPC team is not held up too much by this, and that if there is a court case filed, that the courts simply do not accept it.
THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR
CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA.
PROF.CHARLES SOLUDO
ATTN: LEV,
YOUR IMMEDIATE CONTRACT PAYMENT #:MAV/NNPC/FGN/MIN/009
From the records of outstanding contractors due for payment with the Federal government of Nigeria your name and company was discovered as next on The list of the outstanding contractors who have not received their payments.
I wish to inform you that your payment is being processed and will be Released to you as soon as you respond to this letter. Also note that from my Record in my file your outstanding contract payment is US$23.5 million dollars(twenty three million five hundred dollars).
Please re-confirm to me if this is inline with what you have in your Record and also re-confirm to me the followings
1) Your full name.
2) Phone, fax and mobile #.
3) Company name, position and address.
4) Profession, age and marital status.
As soon as this informations are received, your payment will be made to you in a certified bank draft from central bank of Nigeria and a copy will be given to you for you to take to your bank and confirm it.
You must call me on my direct number as soon as you receive this letter for a serious discussion with me and also get back to me immediately with the private e-mail(draftpaymentoffice@myway.com)
Regards and Stay Bless,
PROF CHARLES SOLUDO.
Executive Governor, Central Bank Of Nigeria.
Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
http://www.sigsegv.cx/
Well fuck why didn't he say so sooner!? I'll file it on his behalf for a small upfront fee....
If you mod me down, I will become more powerful than you can imagine....
"Oyegbola insists his Nigerian patent is legitimate and said he plans to file a copyright-infringement lawsuit against OLPC in an American court."
I hope he does too. If he can't tell the difference between a patent and copyright he needs to have his time and money wasted by coming over here and getting his case thrown out for being too stupid.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
http://radian.org/notebook/first-deployment
Ivan Krstic just posed from Uruguay, where the the first production deployment of the XO just happened. This is what the Globe should be reporting on, not a frivolous lawsuit!
I find it interesting that this lawsuit is happening just before the first production launch and as Peru signs a deal for 260K machines! To bad that is not being picked up by major media.
Sure he can sue OLPC in an American court but we should require a large sum of good faith money first sent via Western Union. And if he wins, OLPC should pay him some insane amount above the judgment using a check and ask for the difference back in cash or via Western Union.
EvilCON - Made Famous by
I know Nigeria has tons of really smart people but is it something about their government or educational system that warps them? Or is it prejudicial media that gives special attention to anything with the word Nigeria in it? I can't figure it. It's as if Microsoft (insert other evil corporate America name here here) and organized crime are the two organizations that have an insane ratio of dibs on Nigerian brain cells. I know there are real smart Nigerians because I've met them, but for some reason we keep seeing all these wierd "Nigerian" scams (maybe even if they aren't from there). Is life cheap there, or do people get rewarded for thinking in crafty ways that would make a lawyer blush? I remember once talking to an Indian friend (who was high up in Apple) and he told me that he treats business like a game, and that everybody back home did that. (Which might explain part of why India's so good at taking over IT maybe). I'm curious because you know, these OLPCs are meant to train kids but maybe they also could teach a common global OLPCkids attitude (you don't have to call it morality or cultural imperialism it could be just a chat etiquette even). Hopefully these kids will grow up to become world leaders and build fine businesses or paint beautiful paintings. It would be nice if communications brought us closer together and we can stop spamming each other with patent crap, drm, eulas and a thousand and one other crazy bureaucratic tricks that just multiply faster like virulent organisms when they go digital. Oh well, even Intel etc. show they just can't leave well enough alone and let OLPCs succeed without throwing in a monkey wrench. I hope this rant convinces some smart kids in nigeria to hit those guys with the next spamsuit.
...and write Mr. Oyegbola directly: mailto:oyegbola@konyin.com
I would not be surprised if Microsoft and Intel buy loyalties of the said "patent" from Mr Oyegbola .
Dear RIAA, if you go to this link, Mr. Oyegbola is offering an MP3 of Lamont Dozier's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamont_Doziermusic out of his family's website without any royalties involved: http://www.oyegbola.com/Music/LamontDozier.mp3
Note, also that you can serve your summons to: Ade G. Oyegbola, 1 Timber Lane, Natick, MA 01760
If he was smart, he would try it in Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, China, or Pakastan.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
"The Boston Globe has up an article about LANCOR's lawsuit over the design of the OLPC's keyboard. 'Negroponte said the lawsuit is without merit, because OLPC uses a keyboard programming technique developed in 1996, long before the Nigerian patent was filed. The founder of Lagos Analysis Corp., Ade Oyegbola, was convicted of bank fraud in Boston in 1990 and served a year in prison. Oyegbola insists his Nigerian patent is legitimate and said he plans to file a copyright-infringement lawsuit against OLPC in an American court.'" From wikipedia on argumentum ad hominem: "...consists of replying to an argument or factual claim by attacking or appealing to a characteristic or belief of the person making the argument or claim, rather than by addressing the substance of the argument or producing evidence against the claim. The process of proving or disproving the claim is thereby subverted, and the argumentum ad hominem works to change the subject." o wait, this is t3h int3rtub35 wh4t wuz i thinkin.... logic is t3h 5ux0r5.
Also, Nigeria has a Patent Office? In fact I got an email from them asking me for bank details so they could transfer $7,000,000 in unclaimed royalties. Ooops... I wasn't supposed to tell anyone.
Fixed it for you.
Oyegbola Lawyer: Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, OLPC's attorney would certainly want you to believe that his work is based on something developed over ten years ago. And they make a good case. Hell, I almost felt pity myself! But, ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, I have one final thing I want you to consider. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Chewbacca. Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk. But Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. Now think about it; that does not make sense!
OLPC Lawyer: Damn it!
OLPC: What?
OLPC Lawyer: He's using the Chewbacca defense!
Oyegbola Lawyer: Why would a Wookiee, an eight-foot tall Wookiee, want to live on Endor, with a bunch of two-foot tall Ewoks? That does not make sense! But more important, you have to ask yourself: What does this have to do with this case? Nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, it has nothing to do with this case! It does not make sense! Look at me. I'm a lawyer defending a copyright case, and I'm talkin' about Chewbacca! Does that make sense? Ladies and gentlemen, I am not making any sense! None of this makes sense! And so you have to remember, when you're in that jury room deliberatin' and conjugatin' the Emancipation Proclamation, [approaches and softens] does it make sense? No! Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, it does not make sense! If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit! The defense rests.
She already has cried 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war.
I would include some sort of reference to enjoying Shakespeare in the original Klingon here, but gotta go.
Donte Alistair Anderson Roberts - hi son!
Karma: Chameleon
So he's tryin to sue a non-profit organisation over a stupid keyboard patent?
What does he try to accomplish with this, they don't have any money to burn.
Besides, I've seen the OLPC keyboard and it looks like any other keyboard (although it's really hard to use with adult fingers), so what is this all about?
But of course, it was intended. More I read about this issue, it is well orchestrated PR shit to steal spotlight of OLPC actual release and success.
user@ubuntubox:~$ stfu This server is going down for shutdown NOW!
we really need to know whether this person would likely be telling the truth.
I mean, if you knew your local car salesman was previously convicted of auto theft and fraud charges, would YOU buy a used car from them? Or would you decide that would be a logical fallacy and purchase anyway?
Call me paranoid but to me this whole thing sounds like simple Intel and/or Microsoft anti-OLPC FUD ala SCO vs Linux/UNIX etc. Expect more to follow :-(
If you want to patent something illegal, it's always best actually to patent having the illegal thing done to you, so the victim (rather than the perpetrator) is liable for royalties. For example, "method for avoiding potentially-fatal wounding and equitably distributing wealth by giving or loaning a mobile telephone and a debit card, and disclosing the Personal Identification Number associated with the latter" rather than "Method for carrying out PINpoint robbery". After all, villains usually get away -- but victims usually tell the police everything that happened to them. And a constable's notes can be subpoenaed in another court if they contain evidence relevant to the case.
Je fume. Tu fumes. Nous fûmes!
So what? His convictions for bank fraud are not (likely) some smoking gun in the patent case.
The conviction goes to the weight of his own testimony, not the merits of his case. Generally, convictions of criminal activity are only admissible if the convictions serve some probative value in the current case. If he obtained his patent lawfully, his conviction for bank fraud is not relevant to the case and can't be admitted to show that, since he committed bank fraud, he must be committing patent fraud.
In my state jurisdiction (PA), however, crimen falsi crimes (i.e., crimes of dishonesty) are admissible for purposes of impeaching a witnesses credibility. He won't be in state court though, he'll be in Federal court and FRE 608 and 609 will apply.
Attn: American OLPC,
I receive your mail of today,I understand that you are still alive that is why the reason why I wrote you a mail to know wether you still alive,this transaction is real and not fake,if other people are telling you that is fake don't mind them,they don't want your progress in this transaction.
What is annoying you did i collected any money from you what i need from you is only your phone number and your address,this money is a big money if you don't know I don't need your account to transfer this money only what you require for you to contact the paying bank. I can bring a lawsuit for Patent Infringement in Texas against OLPC if they are not complying with the terms of transaction. Based on keyboard-programming and layout.
You behavour towards this transaction is not proper I must tell you the truth if you know God you shouldn't have call me a mother fucker in your mail.
Thank you and remain bless.
Ade Oyegbola
Why not? Microsoft is big. Someone would like to try such tactics, even to be unknown to leadership of MS.
user@ubuntubox:~$ stfu This server is going down for shutdown NOW!
A million indignant geeks shake their fists in anger in their parents' basement.
I suggest an iron pipe, brought to the offenders' kneecaps, rapidly, repeatedly.
Is that you, Kevin Spacey?
Seriously, have you considered being evil for a living?
Heh, I was thinking that or tail, but we have at least one guy standing up in "The never ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way."
What?
...ever goes unpunished.
If everyone has computers and knowledge, how will anyone in the existing power structure be able to feel good about themselves ever again?
The only thing I'm astonished about is the time it took the nigerian scammers to take up this wonderful extortion-tool named "patent-system".
Because that's what patents are in principle: means of extortion.
who tried to take down Mambo over "copywrited" three column code. Worlds full of snakes.
Si vis pacem, para bellum! For evil to succeed good men need only do nothing!
My name is Ade Oyegbola and I'm a wealthy buisnessman and criminal.
Please send me your bank account information.
God spoke to me.
I for one am surprised to find an Non-American African American with a conviction for fraud. It is, after all, generally a prerequiste for committing white-collar crime that the perpetrator be at least passably literate.
And dont forget a few cards short of a full deck... Or the engine's running but there's no one behind the wheel
this smelt like a variation on the 419 theme from the get go, it's asswipes like these that make the world laugh at Africa and all the nonsense these monkeys get up to, like it was said previously just dont send them and make these monkeys explain why Africa is so fucked, talk about ingratitude!
Move along now, nothing to see here! Go on!
Maybe it's just me, but it seems like the parent didn't have this link. It seems to clarify Oyegbola's position, which are not those I'd have believed from reading previous comments alone. (Hey - it was such a bad day, I tried to RTFM, couldn't, and tracked it down. So, I'm not ragging on anyone for their comments, I'm just saying about how I things came across, today.)
http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2007/11/28/laptops_for_kids_group_sued_over_keyboard_design/
Anyway, it's an interesting article. I'd be curious about how much of it is actually true, but it is interesting.
Pathological kinda promises Path + Logical - but instead, you get stuck with pathetic.
didn't I already receive one of these?
DEAR MRS. OLPC
I AM A FORMER PATENT OFFICIAL FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA, AFRICA. A NIGERIAN COMPANY LAGOS ANALYTICS CORP MY OWN A PATENT ON TECHNOLOGY YOU HAVE RECENTLY INCORPORATE ON YOUR PC DEVIICE. BUT I CAN HELP YOU AVOID ANY DIFFICULTY WITH LAGOS ANALYTICS CORP IF WE BECOME FRIENDS.
PLEASE, I PRAY YOU WILL REPLY.
MR AYO OYEGBOLA
someone!!! Update my spam filter puh-leeze!
now i have an interesting story to tell. that was originally the end of the post. however, because there were so many caps (it's characteristic of nigerian fee scam letters to be in all caps, it was done for effect) it was auto-rejected by a bot. which is probably why nobody has taken this obvious cheap shot yet. however, I'm hoping if i include enough lowercase text it will balance it out and get this gross piece of purple buffoonery past the auto-bot copy editor, perhaps -- perhaps this will make it through. sigh. here goes.
It's seriously annoying, another side effect of trying to keep the idiots out. Maybe the thing should disable after you've been around for a while, how the hell are you going discuss things like EULAs otherwise?
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