Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Oracle Sues Lodsys For Patent Trolling

Posted by Soulskill on from the rocket-docket-reverse-course dept.

RWarrior(fobw) writes "PJ reports at Groklaw that Oracle has sued well-known patent troll Lodsys, asking for declaratory judgement in the Eastern District of Texas that Oracle and its customers don't need Lodsys licenses, and that Lodsys patents are invalid anyway. 'It seems that Lodsys has been going after Oracle customers, and they in turn have been asking Oracle to indemnify them. Lodsys, methinks, has made a mistake. One doesn't go after Oracle's money. No. No. Never a good plan. I suspect Oracle will go for damages, tripled, and all their expenses, legal fees, etc. when this is over.' PJ also points out that which companies are the good guys and which are the bad guys depends on which case you're looking at. "

5 of 119 comments (clear)

  1. Who's the bigger troll here? by ilikenwf · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I mean, Oracle did just basically lose a huge patent troll case over a freely available API implementation...

    1. Re:Who's the bigger troll here? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I'm glad they lost, but when I think patent trolling, I usually think of a bogus shell company that hasn't actually created anything. They're just paper companies dumping cash into legal action to turn a profit, designed to shield the players behind it from any kind of retribution.

      So it might be a bit of a stretch, but at least I'll give Oracle some credit on for doing what they were convinced was legitimate protection of their own work... even if it was a shitty thing to do and failed miserably.

  2. Re:confused by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    The lawyers. If you're going to cheer for someone, you might as well cheer for the guys who you know always wins.

  3. I suck by smittyoneeach · · Score: 5, Funny

    Avoid patent trolls,
    And that lawfare schtick,
    Like facial moles,
    Lest one suffer a prick.
    Burma Shave

    --
    Get thee glass eyes, and, like a scurvy politician, seem to see things thou dost not.--King Lear
  4. Re:confused by StormReaver · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whom do I cheer for now?

    That's easy: neither.

    Oracle is an evil company suing another evil company, but neither one is the good guy. Oracle's interests just happen to align with The Right Thing to Do on this occasion, so they are on the side of good by pure coincidence.

    Don't cheer for Oracle, but cheer for the good thing Oracle just happens to be doing at this fleeting moment in time, for Oracle will still be evil at the next earliest opportunity.