Paul Allen Files Patent Suit Against Apple, Google, Yahoo, Others

mewshi_nya writes "A firm run by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen filed suit alleging 11 technology companies are violating patents developed at a Silicon Valley lab that Allen financed more than a decade ago. Named in the lawsuit: Apple, Google, AOL, eBay, Facebook, Netflix, Office Depot, OfficeMax, Staples, Yahoo and Google's YouTube subsidiary. The suit doesn't name Microsoft, Amazon.com or other tech companies in Seattle where Allen is based, and it doesn't estimate a damage amount. The suit lists violations of four patents (PDF) for technology that appear to be key components of the operations of the companies — and that of e-commerce and Internet search companies in general."

Comments

Re:Lots of companies, obvious patents

[benjymouse]

Uhm, Paul Allen is not Microsoft, nor is this company owned fully or partially by Microsoft. Rather they have a common owner, Paul Allen - that is if Paul Allen still owns Microsoft stock - which I presume.

But saying that this is a Microsoft deed is a stretch. Microsoft had no hand in these patents.

But if mr. Allen still owns a lot of Microsoft stock, suing MS would be a bit like suing yourself. A bit awkward.