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LinuxDefenders.org Launches To Fight Patent Trolls
eldavojohn writes "The Linux Defenders Network is a new organization sponsored by the Open Invention Network, the Software Freedom Law Center, and The Linux Foundation to help the community defend itself against patent trolls. Three models, or 'IP rights management tools,' are offered: Peer to Patent, Post-Issue Peer to Patent, and Defensive Publications. Mich Kabay's article in NetworkWorld cites an all-too-familiar incident from December, when General Patent Corp. announced it was working on behalf of Worlds.com to sue everyone — this probably could have been avoided with a little prior art help from the community. From the organization's about page: 'We encourage contributions from anyone that is interested in ensuring that innovation is not stifled by poor quality patents and is interested in assisting the patent office in its goal of improving the overall quality of patents.' Are these guys saviors arriving in the nick of time, or just another hopeless community effort to rein in the failing patent system?"
A great initiative on paper, but I doubt it will lead to much. As someone who wrote a patent more than a decade ago and had the pleasure of being sued by my ex-employer (using my patents against me - nice), I can attest to the craziness of claim construction and other esoteric legal arguments.
Unlike coding as a group, which gave us Linux, creating meaningful and valid prior art is both harder and much less rewarding. That's why I doubt it can get enough contributors to make a difference.
Can't we just force the patent examiners to use Google search instead?
--
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Hope this turns out better than Windows Defender!
A site designed to educate what patent trolling is, and show current examples of patent trolling seems more logical to me. These cretins hide behind obfustification of the issue. A site that plainly cuts through the BS that is often the case of these trolls is what we need not a 'linux defender'. Troll the patent trolls don't defend against them.
Microsoft.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
news at #1
Slashdot, news from two months ago
That's why I doubt it can get enough contributors to make a difference.
Can't we just force the patent examiners to use Google search instead?
Well, based on their recent dismal performance, I think that that's not likely to happen soon. The USPO just does not seem to have the competence available in sufficient numbers.
They might be better off just posting a summary of all s/w patents to /., where there seem to be plenty of experts with plenty of time *cough*
So they're going to help improve the 'quality' of software patents so that patent trolls, rather than getting weak patents which can be easily challenged in court, will be able to get stronger, less contestable patents. They're going to publish prior art so that patent applications can be carefully worded to work around it. This may not be such a great idea.
-- Ed Avis ed@membled.com
Once again, the SCO lawsuits were about copyrights, not about patents.
What we should do instead is raise money to buy an island and form a freedom-compliant government on it. The constitution of this island would state that everyone has total and complete freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom to information, with absolutely, positively, no exceptions. This means yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theater is allowed. The constitution would further state that no other country's IP laws have any meaning on the island. This means it is legal to copy any information and nobody can say or do anything about it. The constitution would further state that no taxes of any kind or any amount may be levied for any reason, that the government may consist ONLY of elected people (no appointees or hires), that these people are allowed to work in their government role only 15 days per year, that they volunteer for the part and receive no compensation, and that any legislation they pass must first be approved by a 2/3rd majority of the entire island's voters in all of ten consecutive elections before it passes into law. There is no executive or judiciary. All disputes and other matters are settled by duels fought at a designated spot on the island's beach, with the only requirement that each party to the duel must bring three witnesses. The constitution would further state that no treaties or agreements may be signed with any country for any reason. The constitution would further state that the island would obtain an asteroid the size of Texas and prevent all outside threats or attacks from all other countries through a policy of deterrence: "You threaten us, we drop this asteroid the size of Texas and knock the whole planet out of orbit." All of your patent troll problems are solved by moving to this island. Now if only we could figure out where to get the billion or two that it would cost to buy such a place.
Did they ever come through with that actually?
They were going on about it, then asked to prove it and did they?
Or did they just use their usual FUD spreading to try scare the companies considering it?
so we can contribute quickly.
Read radical news here
If all they achieve is to get SCO to STFU and p*** off, they will have rendered the Linux world a great service.
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But they were essentially functioning like a patent troll and, in fact, Darl McBride's resume included stints at several known patent troll companies.
My blog
IIRC, M$ was funding $C0, which kind of makes the grand-parent wrong... and the great-grand-parent poorly worded.
$ make available
MS's funding of SCO didn't stop them from making their own claim.
Methink$ y0u are having pr0blem$ with y0ur key mapping$. Y0u can rea$$ign key$ with xm0dmap, 0r try 0ther keyb0ard lay0ut$.
<sig> </sig>
As of late I think it is things like the Apple multi touch patents and all the other shit they keep patenting is what needs to be fought against.
Microsoft did spew FUD over patent infringement.
They were subsequently called on their claims by the FSF and others, to sue us or shut up.
For them it's easier to blather propaganda than to prove their claims and potentially get caught with patents on prior art, or much worse, caught infringing somebody else's patent in their products.
So far they have chosen to shut up for now.
"Suppose you were an idiot...and suppose you were a member of Congress...but I repeat myself." Mark Twain
It will unfortunately probably help do the job which should be done correctly to begin with by the patent office, however instead of fixing a system which should not exist, effort and money should be put into getting rid of patents.
Promote true freedom - support standards and interoperability.
I think they got the number 235 infringing patents by the old throwing darts method.
09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0
+2 Troll is Slashdot's way of saying groupthink is confused
I guess that they'd better get rid of C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\etc\ first.
C:\>
If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a thumb.
Except the maximum dart score is 180. You need a minimum of 5 darts to make 235. (3xTriple 20, Triple 18, One - for one example).
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
-- Margaret Mead
Seem's fitting, your other option is to suck it up.
-- Wondering how long until the internet becomes fully corporatist, like television.
I didnt say they werent also cheating at darts as well.
09F911029D74E35BD84156C5635688C0
+2 Troll is Slashdot's way of saying groupthink is confused
And as it turns out, they didn't have any of either and now in addition don't have any money. Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people.
(yes, I know they have copyrights in some of their own crap, but since nobody actually wants any of that stuff...)