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Intellectual Ventures Tied To 1,300 Shell Companies
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."
Yep .. See Oracle vs Google. If Oracle had asked for a reasonable ransom maybe Google would have just payed it and be done with it. However Oracle asked for billions of dollars and so Google told them to go fuck sand. So the sued and many of their patents got re-examined and thrown out by the USPTO while other patents were found by the jury NOT to have been infringed by Google. This is the nightmare scenario that trolls fear. Also, see Judge Willian Alsup and Judge Richard Posner. Its mostly in the Eastern District of Texas they can consistently get a away with this crap.
This sounds *exactly* like how organized crime (mobs) operate. Where the hell is the FBI I'm paying for? Will they please focus on relevant issues?!?!?!
why anyone is complaining so loudly.
This behaviour is the natural and logical outcome of the current patent system.
Did anybody seriously expect anything different?
Visit CryptoGnome in his home.
That makes the right strategy "All my wealth for defence, not one dime for tribute." Pay the danegeld and you'll never get rid of the Dane.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
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.
Blackberry is an obvious mistake. The crustless PB&J uses strawberry.
Anyway, why hasn't someone pointed out that Intellectual Ventures was founded by the ex-CTO of Microsoft Nathan Myhrvold and still partners with Microsoft on patent deals. Are all the MS haters asleep?
I believe having a portfolio full of bullshit obvious, vague and simple patents and using them to intimidate and vanquish competition qualifies as trolling as well.
Also, see Judge Willian Alsup and Judge Richard Posner.
Yes, these two are amazing. Any judge who learns to program Java for a trial deserves credit.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."