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Top Microsoft Execs Moonlighting For a Patent Bully
theodp writes "TechFlash reports that Microsoft bigwigs like Craig Mundie and Bill Gates (when he still worked there) have been secretly moonlighting at Intellectual Ventures (IV), the 'patent extortion fund' run by Bill's pal Nathan Myhrvold. A Microsoft spokesman confirmed that its technologists have been sitting in on IV-sponsored 'innovation sessions,' where their pearls of wisdom were captured and turned into patent applications for Searete, an IV shadow corporate entity. And if all goes well, Searete will soon enjoy exclusive rights to the fruit of the brainstorming, which includes processes ranging from determining and rewarding 'influencers' to treating malaria, HIV, TB, hepatitis, smallpox, and cancer."
The New Yorker had an article about this six months ago.
In before, "he bought the UID on ebay."
And, I wrote the sig myself. Thanks for the compliment! :)
I could embellish on the meaning of the sig, but I'll allow your subconscious to experience the fear which is why it's there in the first place.
The dangers of knowledge trigger emotional distress in human beings.
A corporation has fiduciary responsibility to all of the shareholders, not just the biggest ones.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Anybody who owns an S&P 500 index fund or etf, and probably millions of other people who own various mutual funds. Also, there are probably lots of individual stockholders.
Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
Well, the whole philosophy behind natural law (used by the founding fathers) is that individuals have inherent rights (like property) even if no government exists at all, but people (being social, but imperfect creatures) typically organize in the form of government to secure their rights.
So by that measure, property is not created by common consent or force.
Also, some of the other examples you pointed to, are not about property, but fraud or an intrusion of peoples privacy. Copyrights are not property either. Trademarks would be more about stopping fraud, than about property. "your data", is more about a privacy violation. "your money" is more about keeping tack of value (without fraud) than about property.
In fact patents violate property. If I made an exact copy of your corn farm, and you say I can't have a corn farm because you do, then that violates my right to do what I justly please with my property. Well the same is true with invention, imitation is not stealing. The whole foundation of property revolves around the fact that being finite creatures, not everybody can use every resource at the same time without imposing on others. Well, with invention, they can.
although for Gates it is no surprise.
More articles:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20081108/1744562771.shtml
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/10/gates_myhrvold_patents/print.html
http://www.patentfools.com/2008/09/intellectual-ventures-independence-day-take-ii/#more-19
http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/Gates_top_Microsoft_executives_do_some_inventing_on_the_side34192179.html
The purpose if Intellectual Ventures is to harass and intimidate Microsoft competitors, but to do so in a way that Microsoft can keep its hands clean.
Bill Gates and Paul Allen have contributed knowledge and expertise to many 'think tanks' for fee and for free. Why the secrecy here?
Microsoft is a ruthless competitor with a long history of dirty tricks. They didn't invent FUD (Check w/ IBM for that), but they are masters of FUD-foo.
Intellectual Ventures needs to have a large enough portfolio to bring pressure to bear where Microsoft wants that pressure applied. It does not matter to Microsoft that IV succeeds or fails in law suits, as long as Microsoft competitors can be harassed, intimidated and drained of funds.
All of this may be completely legal. Is it unethical? that depends on your ethics. For many people in the business world, if something is not illegal, then it is not unethical to do that something.