4 ms·
"Patent trolls are hard to fight precisely because they create nothing. Big companies are safe from being sued by other big companies because they can threaten
by seles 15y ago
"Patent trolls are hard to fight precisely because they create nothing. Big companies are safe from being sued by other big companies because they can threaten a counter-suit. But because patent trolls don't make anything, there's nothing they can be sued for."
This is a very good point and part of the problem. But there is a loop hole for big companies, that I can't help but wonder if it has even been used. A big company could, possibly under the table, use a small company to sue another big company, leaving no way for the sued to fight back.
- groby_b 15y agoIsn't that what Nathan Myrvolds (sp?) company does? Create a bunch of shell companies, sell them a patent with a "backend" deal. Worst case, the shell company is dead.
- groby_b 15y agoIsn't that what Nathan Myrvolds (sp?) company does? Create a bunch of shell companies, sell them a patent with a "backend" deal. Worst case, the shell company is dead.
- onemoreact 15y agoShell companies have limited value in this case. Because if Microsoft uses XYZ corp to sue IBM then IBM can just sue Microsoft again and again.
- seles 15y agoOnly if IBM knows Microsoft is using XYZ
- ghshephard 15y agoIsn't this somewhat simliar to how Microsoft funded SCO to sue companies that used Linux? Microsoft didn't want to be in the position of suing their customers, so they used SCO as a shell to do their dirty work for them.