3 ms·
The EFF and similar organizations often voice their opposition against the patent system. But why couldn't the EFF use the flaws of the patent system to their
by GuB-42 3y ago
The EFF and similar organizations often voice their opposition against the patent system.
But why couldn't the EFF use the flaws of the patent system to their advantage.
They could file all kinds of patents for things they oppose. DRM schemes, surveillance and tracking tech, dark patterns, etc... And then patent troll companies that use these techniques.
Win/win. If they lose their lawsuit, it creates a precedent against patent trolls. If they win, that's one less of the things they are against.
- dbspin 3y agoThink it through - there are a literally infinite number of such potentially patentable non-innovations. And such lawsuits are expensive and time consuming. Meanwhile the bar to entry for patent trolls is extremely low. That would be and endless futile game of whackamole.
- GuB-42 3y agoThe idea here is mostly for the EFF to be the patent troll. But unlike most patent trolls who prey on companies producing useful things, the EFF would attack companies making things that shouldn't be done (according to the EFF). For example, let's have the EFF patent ad banners with a close button that is too small to click. If the patent is granted (unlikely but let's imagine it is), the EFF can then threaten sites with such an ad banner with a patent lawsuit. Hopefully discouraging websites from using such tactic.
- oh_sigh 3y agoPatent trolls definitionally don't produce anything, so aren't going to run afoul of other patents. Squatting on shitty patents might be a good idea to prevent them from ever getting into a troll's portfolio, but it might be a good idea just to put the money towards invalidating patents that the biggest trolls use to extort money out of companies.