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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.'"
FYI, that's what we call a citation.
It doesn't matter. Every time someone files a lawsuit, a lawyer gets his wings.
What?
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")
riaWow, 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. . . .
Nope, it is an original.
:-)
I keep a stock of those for AntiSPAM testing and this one ended up being on the top of the folder. It is a fairly unusual sample which I have kept for testing since 2001.
Want me to sell it to you? Bargain basement price with the headers and mail system logs? Unique example of early 21st century Nigerian literature. Good bargain all around
Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
http://www.sigsegv.cx/
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
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.
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.
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!
My name is Ade Oyegbola and I'm a wealthy buisnessman and criminal.
Please send me your bank account information.
God spoke to me.