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At first I bought into the "patent troll" label that was being put on him. After reading more about his company and his career it's apparent to me that he's ju
by jmathai 17y ago
At first I bought into the "patent troll" label that was being put on him. After reading more about his company and his career it's apparent to me that he's just an entrepreneur that sees huge potential in a "patent market".
Whether or not his trolling will help create more incentive for invention or impede it is yet to be seen. It's easy to simply call him a patent troll but the economics of inventions and what he's trying to do are fascinating, just like any uncharted market.
I vote that he's an entrepreneur that can be labeled as a patent troll. His company is "bad" in the same way that Walmart is bad. They probably provide a valuable service at a hidden cost.
- andrewljohnson 17y agoYes, and Jason Calcanis is just an entrepreneur who sees huge potential in a "whatever the hell he's calling Mahalo lately." Seeing an opportunity and exploiting it makes you money, but it doesn't always make it right or good for the world. And I don't think the comparison to Wal-Mart is valid. Wal-Mart succeeded because they have the best logistics in the world. They may have some aggressive business tactics in deploying stores, but selling cheap goods to people who need them is nothing even remotely like patent-trolling (or Mahaloing). Wal-Mart has been shown to have very positive effects on communities, such as making prescription drugs and doctor visits affordable to poor people.
- jmathai 17y agoAgreed. I'm not advocating that he's having a net positive effect. Regarding Walmart: cheap goods is a benefit (like I said) but it comes at a cost (like I said). I could say the same about Mahalo. It's having a positive effect on some of their writers or employees (I don't really know much about Mahalo, but you get my point).