3 ms·

How does a boycott even work in the context of a patent troll who isn't producing anything?

dpcan 15y ago
It will get Google and Apple's attention.
mikeryan 15y ago
If you're not infringing the patent he can't sue you. But greater then that, these in-app purchase systems are generating revenues for the App Store vendors (Apple and Google). The hope is to get the weight of those companies (and their legal teams) behind these small developers. Lodsys is trying very hard to pick off the weak. They don't want to get in a fight with Apple and Google though its very quickly heading that way.
- bad_user 15y ago
  If Loudsys is a patent troll by definition, all Apple/Google can do is to invalidate their patents, which is really hard and very unlikely. Boycotting also works if everybody would do it. How would that work when one developer is boycotting and his competition is not (lots of copycats in both stores).
  - mikeryan 15y ago
    all Apple/Google can do is to invalidate their patents Not entirely true Apple is a licensor of Lodsys's patents and claims their license covers their developers.
nooneelse 15y ago
Spit-balling here, possibly drivel; feel free to call me out on absurdness. What about something like a "no software for you" blockade/lawsuit-wedge? Form a little body, have some rules on how someone gets declared a patent troll. Alongside that, have anti-patent-troll companies start including "if declared a PT by so-and-so body, your license to use this software is over" in click-through EULAs. Intended result being: anyone working for patent trolls can't use enough modern software to function effectively, and/or they open themselves up for counter-suit via their use of software without license.
- noonespecial 15y ago
  I'd be stunned stupid if every copy of windows in whatever little back-office hole in the wall they work out of isn't pirated. They don't give a rip about your software or IP in general beyond gaming the system. If they cheat on the spirit of the law this egregiously, they probably cheat every other damn place as well.

dpcan 15y ago

It will get Google and Apple's attention.

If you're not infringing the patent he can't sue you. But greater then that, these in-app purchase systems are generating revenues for the App Store vendors (Apple and Google). The hope is to get the weight of those companies (and their legal teams) behind these small developers. Lodsys is trying very hard to pick off the weak. They don't want to get in a fight with Apple and Google though its very quickly heading that way.

bad_user 15y ago
If Loudsys is a patent troll by definition, all Apple/Google can do is to invalidate their patents, which is really hard and very unlikely. Boycotting also works if everybody would do it. How would that work when one developer is boycotting and his competition is not (lots of copycats in both stores).
- mikeryan 15y ago
  all Apple/Google can do is to invalidate their patents Not entirely true Apple is a licensor of Lodsys's patents and claims their license covers their developers.

nooneelse 15y ago

Spit-balling here, possibly drivel; feel free to call me out on absurdness. What about something like a "no software for you" blockade/lawsuit-wedge? Form a little body, have some rules on how someone gets declared a patent troll. Alongside that, have anti-patent-troll companies start including "if declared a PT by so-and-so body, your license to use this software is over" in click-through EULAs. Intended result being: anyone working for patent trolls can't use enough modern software to function effectively, and/or they open themselves up for counter-suit via their use of software without license.

noonespecial 15y ago
I'd be stunned stupid if every copy of windows in whatever little back-office hole in the wall they work out of isn't pirated. They don't give a rip about your software or IP in general beyond gaming the system. If they cheat on the spirit of the law this egregiously, they probably cheat every other damn place as well.