3 ms·

It also sounds like he's not the stereotypical patent troll who hasn't created anything himself, but just buys patents.

• dunham 15y ago
  "However, Myhrvold has turned that trickle of ideas into a torrent by acquiring patents. The concept is simple: Intellectual Ventures buys technology patents (30,000 and counting), gathers them into a critical mass then sells or licenses the intellectual property." http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/entrepreneur/article7127608.ece (via the Wikipedia article on Intellectual Ventures, Myhrvold's company)
  • monochromatic 15y ago
    Yeah, they've blurred the line a little bit. But the canonical patent troll is one that hasn't created anything, just capitalizes someone else's patents... and Myhrvold doesn't really fit into that category.
    • sixtofour 15y ago
      There is nothing to stop a formerly innovating person from currently acting the troll. Former innovation does not sweeten current trolling
      • monochromatic 15y ago
        What's a troll? Definitions vary, but they all agree that it includes not innovating, just purchasing and asserting patents. All I was saying is that this definition doesn't really fit.
  • petegrif 15y ago
    Not quite that simple. They also work with leading scientists to innovate.