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Doubleclick Cofounder Responds to Patent Troll by Filing Extortion Lawsuit
New submitter kintamanimatt writes with news that someone other than newegg is fighting back against patent trolls, despite the business case for settling. This time, however, one of the founders of the Doubleclick ad network has decided to use his personal money to not only fight a patent troll attacking his new startup, but to strike back at them under the RICO act. "'There's a lot of outrageous stories, but everyone's so damn afraid of coming forward — It's like going against the Mafia,' he [Kevin O'Connor] said. But the idea that trolls may retaliate against those who speak out is overblown, he thinks. 'If they want to try to teach me a lesson, go for it. This will be my retirement. I'll fight them.' The patent troll's attorney also made the claim that calling someone a 'patent troll' was actually a 'hate crime' under 'Ninth Circuit precedent' and threatened to file criminal charges — unless they settled the civil case immediately, apologized, and gave financial compensation to the troll. The offer was 'good until close of business that day.'"
AdBlock Plus is a great thing when it comes to ads, patent trolls needs a good gang rape instead.
If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
Someone needs to not only go after the trolls, but go after the law license of the Attorneys representing them as well. Get a couple of lawyers disbarred and watch the lawsuits end!
You know thats not a bad idea at all.
True, but drone strikes would be more fun.
Only to idiots, are orders laws.
-- Henning von Tresckow
First positive sentiment I've had towards ads as well...
Could doubleclick just replace every ad nation-wide with "It is my personal opinion that lawfirm XYZ is dishonest, subversive, and riddled with STD's. Thank you"?
Threatening criminal action for a frivolous cause also seems like marvelous fodder for a RICO case.
It IS a hate crime.. against trolls. Poor species of bridge and cave dweling creatures should never be compared to someone as vile and disgusting as patent attorneys.
Just because someone, through no fault of their own, is hideously disfigured, lives under a bridge, and collects levies from unsuspecting travelers on pain of dismemberment does not give us the right to call that individual a "troll". This is a clearly racist epithet.