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Hopeful Plaintiff Sues Yahoo, Digg, Reddit, Fark, TechCrunch, And Others

26 points by ssclafani 16y ago

ambirex 16y ago
That isn't how you patent troll, you first go after smaller targets to build up case law and/or settlements. Then you go after bigger and bigger targets. This seems like a really speedy way to invalidate your patent
- bravura 16y ago
  Apparently, they already have gone after smaller targets: http://www.techdirt.com/blog.php?company=gooseberry&edition=techdirt http://www.techdirt.com/blog.php?company=gooseberry&edit... http://thepriorart.typepad.com/the_prior_art/2010/07/gooseberry-natural-resources-patents-press-releases.html http://thepriorart.typepad.com/the_prior_art/2010/07/goosebe... "Gooseberry Natural Resources, LLC has taken extraordinary steps to hide the identity of its owner. Corporate records held by the Texas Secretary of State show that a second Delaware-based shell company, Vertigo Holding LLC, owns Gooseberry. Since Vertigo Holding is incorporated in Delaware, it is not required to list its officers or owners."
  - pbhjpbhj 16y ago
    Seriously, in the US you can run a business without informing the government who is responsible? This is so messed up IMO, I'm really surprised. Sure, we have lawyers who appear to own companies but then when the co. perpetrate evil they [should] get their asses kicked. How do they manage taxes without knowing who is running companies? Surely you can claim unemployment and still run a registered business then?
david2777 16y ago
I absolutely love the URL of the story.
davvid 16y ago
There's a phone number there... hmmm ;)
- mooism2 16y ago
  Please don't take yourself down to their level.
- pbhjpbhj 16y ago
  You should ring on behalf of Tim Berners Lee and see if you can license their tech for a new thing you're calling The Web?
techsupporter 16y ago
I wonder why this case was filed in the Federal court for the central district of California. Isn't the eastern district of Texas usually the preferred place for patent trolls[1]? In this case, the plaintiffs wouldn't even have to go very far since the Plano, Texas address is already in that court district. 1 - http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-patent_31bus.ART.State.Edition1.3ccb54a.html http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-p...
lionhearted 16y ago
I imagine you could curb a lot of these abuses by holding lawyers liable for frivolous lawsuits... the patent troll might not have anything to lose, but any not-hack lawyer would...
- statictype 16y ago
  Or better, have the plaintiff cover all legal expenses on both sides. I believe this is already done at the judge's discretion but it doesn't get enforced often enough. Surely, this would be one way to prevent patent trolls from suing and hoping for a quick "Cheaper to throw money at you than see you in court" settlement.

26 points by ssclafani 16y ago

That isn't how you patent troll, you first go after smaller targets to build up case law and/or settlements. Then you go after bigger and bigger targets. This seems like a really speedy way to invalidate your patent

bravura 16y ago
Apparently, they already have gone after smaller targets: http://www.techdirt.com/blog.php?company=gooseberry&edition=techdirt http://www.techdirt.com/blog.php?company=gooseberry&edit... http://thepriorart.typepad.com/the_prior_art/2010/07/gooseberry-natural-resources-patents-press-releases.html http://thepriorart.typepad.com/the_prior_art/2010/07/goosebe... "Gooseberry Natural Resources, LLC has taken extraordinary steps to hide the identity of its owner. Corporate records held by the Texas Secretary of State show that a second Delaware-based shell company, Vertigo Holding LLC, owns Gooseberry. Since Vertigo Holding is incorporated in Delaware, it is not required to list its officers or owners."
- pbhjpbhj 16y ago
  Seriously, in the US you can run a business without informing the government who is responsible? This is so messed up IMO, I'm really surprised. Sure, we have lawyers who appear to own companies but then when the co. perpetrate evil they [should] get their asses kicked. How do they manage taxes without knowing who is running companies? Surely you can claim unemployment and still run a registered business then?

david2777 16y ago

I absolutely love the URL of the story.

davvid 16y ago

There's a phone number there... hmmm ;)

mooism2 16y ago
Please don't take yourself down to their level.
pbhjpbhj 16y ago
You should ring on behalf of Tim Berners Lee and see if you can license their tech for a new thing you're calling The Web?

techsupporter 16y ago

I wonder why this case was filed in the Federal court for the central district of California. Isn't the eastern district of Texas usually the preferred place for patent trolls[1]? In this case, the plaintiffs wouldn't even have to go very far since the Plano, Texas address is already in that court district. 1 - http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-patent_31bus.ART.State.Edition1.3ccb54a.html http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/stories/DN-p...

lionhearted 16y ago

I imagine you could curb a lot of these abuses by holding lawyers liable for frivolous lawsuits... the patent troll might not have anything to lose, but any not-hack lawyer would...

statictype 16y ago
Or better, have the plaintiff cover all legal expenses on both sides. I believe this is already done at the judge's discretion but it doesn't get enforced often enough. Surely, this would be one way to prevent patent trolls from suing and hoping for a quick "Cheaper to throw money at you than see you in court" settlement.