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Vizio, Destroyer of Patent Trolls
An anonymous reader writes: We read about a lot of patent troll cases. Some are successful and some are not, but many such cases are decided before ever going to court. It's how the patent troll operates — they know exactly how high litigation costs are. Even without a legal leg to stand on, they can ask for settlements that make better financial sense for the target to accept, rather than dumping just as much money into attorney's fees for an uncertain outcome. Fortunately, some companies fight back. TV-maker Vizio is one of these, and they've successfully defended against 16 different patent trolls, some with multiple claims. In addition, they're going on the offensive, trying to wrest legal fees from the plaintiffs for their spurious claims. "For the first time, it stands a real chance, in a case where it spent more than $1 million to win. Two recent Supreme Court decisions make it easier for victorious defendants to collect fees in patent cases. The TV maker is up against a storied patent plaintiffs' firm, Chicago-based Niro, Haller & Niro, that has fought for Oplus tooth and nail. ... For Vizio, the company feels that it's on the verge of getting vindication for a long-standing policy of not backing down to patent trolls."
$200 per/hour? A first year associate at most corporate law firms bills around $350 an hour, particularly in IP. Most IP partners bill at approximately $750 - $900 per hour.
>Yeah, yeah, yeah, McDonald's Coffee case. There was something there legally that wasn't reported in the media or if it was, it went over everyone's head.
Things most people miss.
The manager of that McDonald's refused to pick up 50% of the initial ER bill. ( Literally, all they had to do, was sign a piece of paper, and that would have been that. I've forgotten the dollar amount, but even doubling it, to allow for the cost of having a lawyer examine it, would have been far cheaper, than the resulting lawsuit.)
McDonald's corporate had cited that specific McDonald's for violating their policy on how hot coffee should be served at, several times, before this specific incident occurred.
Need I mention her third degree burns, in an area of the body that is extremely difficult to treat.
Wind Beneath Thy Wings