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Intellectual Ventures Tied To 1,300 Shell Companies

Posted by timothy on from the such-pretty-shells dept.

dgharmon writes "New research (PDF) shows that Intellectual Ventures is tied to at least 1,300 shell companies whose sole purpose is to coerce real companies into buying patent license that they don't want or need. Those who resist the 'patent trolls' are dragged into nightmarish lawsuits."

5 of 140 comments (clear)

  1. FTFA by Daetrin · · Score: 4, Funny

    Patent trolling took off after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office began issuing a flood of questionable âoebusiness methodâ patents related to things like software and, believe it or not, a crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In 2006, lawyers used such a patent to threaten Research in Motion with an injunction against the BlackBerry and extract a $612 million payout.

    Well that's clearly why the BlackBerry has been having trouble in the market, RIM spent too much of their product development time working on sandwiches, and patent infringing sandwiches at that.

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  2. Re:What happened to the days of hitmen? by postbigbang · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dude, put down the whiskey now, and stay out of Colorado, k?

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    ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
  3. that's 1300x the job creation! by Trepidity · · Score: 4, Funny

    Intellectual Ventures are true American heroes!

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    10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
  4. Re:Ah yes, the American dream... by phantomfive · · Score: 4, Funny

    It is strange but many IT entrepreneurs in France don't see the silicon valley as a dreamland.

    Ah yes, France, the Mecca of fine IT judgement.

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    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  5. Shell companies by machine321 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Summary is wrong, it's actually 1300 Exxon-Mobile companies,.