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Patent Trolls Target Small East Texas Companies

An anonymous reader writes "In a sign that patent trolls are getting desperate to keep their cases in East Texas — long known as the friendliest venue for their claims — some have taken to suing tiny, no-name companies that are run by East Texas residents. The hope is that, if at least one defendant is located in East Texas, the judge will keep the entire case there. Nate Neel, a Longview, Texas resident with a small open source software company called CitiWare, was sued by Bedrock Computer Technologies in June despite (he claims) having no customers or other meaningful operations of any kind. In response, Mr. Neel has posted a strongly worded letter to Bedrock's attorneys on his Web site. It will be interesting to see how East Texas judges respond to this abuse of process perpetrated against their own residents."

19 of 281 comments (clear)

  1. Editorial suggestions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    His letter looks like a refugee from Geocities, circa 1998. I say, go with that! Needs more animated GIFs.

  2. Re:Texas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Does anything come from TX that is good and decent?"

    Tex-Mex food and Tejanos in general. This problem solves itself once all the white men are run out of Texas, which demographically will be in about 25 years. Eventually they will all be concentrated in Idaho, and we can nuke that from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

  3. Re:Amazing patent by Drakkenmensch · · Score: 5, Funny

    Your comment just violated my sarcasm patent for "making a comment worded in such a way that it sounds positive while still carrying an implied negative meaning opposite of the actual wording used."

  4. Re:Texas by robot_love · · Score: 4, Funny

    I feel obligated to say that, while I have seen repeated admonitions not to "mess" with that particular state, hating it should be fine.

    --
    .there is enough of everything for everyone.
  5. Re:Interesting defense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    That's a wiley thing to say

  6. Re:Interesting defense by The+Ultimate+Fartkno · · Score: 4, Funny

    Maybe he's a coyote.

  7. Re:Interesting defense by HangingChad · · Score: 2, Funny

    This guy doesn't need a defense, he just needs to reside in East Texas and he's part of this case no matter how ill placed the blame is.

    You stay classy, Texas.

    --
    That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
  8. Re:Interesting defense by Em+Emalb · · Score: 5, Funny

    The Most Litigating Man in the World:

    "I don't always sue people for patent violations, but when I do, I sue in East Texas. Stay classy my friends."

    --
    Sent from your iPad.
  9. Re:Amazing patent by H0p313ss · · Score: 2, Funny

    Your comment violated my patent on "taking chain jokes one step too far going from funny to redundant"... oh wait...

    --
    XML is a known as a key material required to create SMD: Software of Mass Destruction
  10. Re:Strongly worded letter? by orsty3001 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I miss spelled fuck you onetime and never to this day have been able to live it down. You'd never guess there would be so many grammar Nazis in Sunday School.

  11. Re:Strongly worded letter? by mcgrew · · Score: 2, Funny

    Not to mention the lack of spell check.

    Sew true, eye all ways ewes a spill chucker!

  12. Re:Texas by Lil'wombat · · Score: 2, Funny

    If I owned Hell and Texas, I'd live in Hell and rent out Texas

    --

    Truth: If it's not one thing, it's another

  13. Re:Interesting defense by michaelhood · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't let reality get in the way of cool sounding stories or posts.

  14. Re:Strongly worded letter? by Tablizer · · Score: 2, Funny

    I am a connoisseur of strongly-worded letters

    In other words, a frequent usenet user.
         

  15. Re:Strongly worded letter? by ari_j · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am a connoisseur of strongly-worded letters

    In other words, a frequent usenet user.

    No, nothing nearly so respectable. I'm an attorney.

  16. Re:Strongly worded letter? by ari_j · · Score: 5, Funny

    I actually went to law school because I was sick of people taking 'IANAL' the wrong way.

  17. The "E" is SLIENT (sic) DUDE by JohnnyComeLately · · Score: 2, Funny

    Publik educashun, didn't you lissen? The word slime has a silent e, so you can omit the letter! You wouldn't want to think he was saying slim-ee (spelled slimey, a completely different word which crosses over from a noun to adjective!!)

  18. Re:Texas by GoodNicksAreTaken · · Score: 2, Funny

    You're one of the Dixie Chicks aren't you.

  19. Re:Interesting defense by Froboz23 · · Score: 2, Funny

    It may be difficult to defend against a patent lawsuit in East Texas, but consider this: If you defeat a Patent Troll in its lair, you get treasure types O,P,Q,X and 1d4+1 emeralds.

    --
    Take off every Sig. For great justice.