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They call it patent trolling; I call it poetic justice. The companies that are extorted by patent trolls are the same group that agitated for today's over-broa

by gamble 16y ago

They call it patent trolling; I call it poetic justice. The companies that are extorted by patent trolls are the same group that agitated for today's over-broad patent system in the hope that they could wall out smaller competitors with thickets of mutually cross-licensed defensive patents. They created the conditions for parasites to thrive - now they have to live with the consequences. ...or they could support patent reform.

makmanalp 16y ago
Well, sort of. Not every company that's a victim of patent trolling is to blame for the overzealousness of patent law. So not everyone got what they deserved.
- sliverstorm 16y ago
  Indeed. I feel kind of bad for Hyundai. As best I know, they weren't even here when all the patent law stuff was going down.
SkyMarshal 16y ago
That's a true in a scorched earth sort of way - the smaller competitors are still collateral damage. I do hope you're right, that the companies that agitated for this system will realize their mistake - better to go up against smaller nimbler competitors, many of whose exit strategies include getting bought out - than against well-funded patent trolls whose only strategy is force a tax on you and provide no value in return.
alecco 16y ago
I disagree completely. The biggest patent bullies have a gigantic portfolio to kill or milk any possible competitor. In particular some of the big software houses. Patent trolls don't bite IBM/Microsoft/Oracle just like piranhas don't prey on each other. They go attack/bully weaker prey. Most patent trolls seem to rarely go against any corporation with a big legal team/budget. IBM vs. Sun: http://www.forbes.com/asap/2002/0624/044.html http://www.forbes.com/asap/2002/0624/044.html (It's great this was published on Forbes, else I'd be dismissed as a waco lefty, just like their reporting on Enron at about the same time.)
- gamble 16y ago
  Is that true? The troll in this article seemed to be going up against some major companies. I'm no lawyer, but it seems like if you're looking for 8-figure payoffs it would be better to hit up companies for whom that's a minor expense, not an existential threat.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
- ianferrel 16y ago
  Competitors don't go after them because the competitor has too much to lose. Patent trolls do, because the shell company has nothing to lose, and no products to protect from its target's patent portfolio

by gamble 16y ago

makmanalp 16y ago

Well, sort of. Not every company that's a victim of patent trolling is to blame for the overzealousness of patent law. So not everyone got what they deserved.

sliverstorm 16y ago
Indeed. I feel kind of bad for Hyundai. As best I know, they weren't even here when all the patent law stuff was going down.

SkyMarshal 16y ago

That's a true in a scorched earth sort of way - the smaller competitors are still collateral damage. I do hope you're right, that the companies that agitated for this system will realize their mistake - better to go up against smaller nimbler competitors, many of whose exit strategies include getting bought out - than against well-funded patent trolls whose only strategy is force a tax on you and provide no value in return.

alecco 16y ago

I disagree completely. The biggest patent bullies have a gigantic portfolio to kill or milk any possible competitor. In particular some of the big software houses. Patent trolls don't bite IBM/Microsoft/Oracle just like piranhas don't prey on each other. They go attack/bully weaker prey. Most patent trolls seem to rarely go against any corporation with a big legal team/budget. IBM vs. Sun: http://www.forbes.com/asap/2002/0624/044.html http://www.forbes.com/asap/2002/0624/044.html (It's great this was published on Forbes, else I'd be dismissed as a waco lefty, just like their reporting on Enron at about the same time.)

gamble 16y ago
Is that true? The troll in this article seemed to be going up against some major companies. I'm no lawyer, but it seems like if you're looking for 8-figure payoffs it would be better to hit up companies for whom that's a minor expense, not an existential threat.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
ianferrel 16y ago
Competitors don't go after them because the competitor has too much to lose. Patent trolls do, because the shell company has nothing to lose, and no products to protect from its target's patent portfolio