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Judge Orders Patent Troll To Explain Its 'Mr. Sham' To Jury

Posted by samzenpus on from the that-name-again-is-mr.-sham dept.

netbuzz writes "Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has no problem calling Network Protection Sciences (NPS) a patent troll. What he does have a problem with is NPS telling a Texas court that NPS had an 'ongoing business concern' in that state run by a 'director of business development' when all it really had was a rented file-cabinet room and the 'director' was actually the building landlord who merely signed legal papers when NPS told him to do so. Judge Alsup calls the alleged business a 'sham' and the non-employee 'Mr. Sham,' yet he declined to dismiss the patent infringement lawsuit filed by NPS against Fortinet from which this information emerged. Instead, he told NPS, 'this jury is going to hear all of this stuff about the closet. And you're going to have to explain why "Mr. Sham" was signing these documents.'"

7 of 117 comments (clear)

  1. Lessons learned. by fahrbot-bot · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... when all it really had was a rented file-cabinet room and the 'director' was actually the building landlord ...

    Don't cheap out on the props for your cover story.

    --
    It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
  2. Mr Sham was signing the documents by themushroom · · Score: 3, Funny

    because Miss Swindle was stuck in meetings.

    --
    Laughter is the Spackle of the Soul.
    1. Re:Mr Sham was signing the documents by Fnord666 · · Score: 5, Funny

      And Mrs. Sham was out shopping with friends.

      Really? Mrs. Sham? Wow.

      --
      'The tyrant will always find pretext for his tyranny.' - Aesop's Fables
    2. Re:Mr Sham was signing the documents by 91degrees · · Score: 3, Funny

      And in a twist, it turns out that Mr. Sham and Miss. Swindle were in fact the names of legitimate business partners in "Patent Trolls" - a legitimate trading name for a division dealing with IP licencing for fishing equipment - and were based in Phony house, Fake Steet, Scamton, TX.

  3. Mr. Sham is called to the stand by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    For the record, please state your name. "Sam T. Sham". Now, Mr. Sham, can you explain why you signed those documents? Yes, your honor A " Wooly Bully made me do it".

  4. Re:Go Judge by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I imagine the jury will have no problem not awarding this patent troll anything.

    Never underestimate the power of human stupidity.

  5. Re:Wish I could buy that judge a beer by Zynder · · Score: 4, Funny

    yes, where de I signe ?

    Did you happen to visit a loveli lake in Sweden circa 1975 and do you have a brother?