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A Google employee forgot to remove Post-it notes and it’s fueling a lawsuit

30 points by dlgeek 12y ago

gress 12y ago
If this is representative of Google's general approach to dealing with partners, then it should be fully exposed and prosecuted. Google has enough power and money not to need to act in bad faith like this.
- pyre 12y ago
  I feel like we need more details to start passing judgement. For all we know VSL is trying to claim that their patent gives them a monopoly over an entire problem domain rather than just a specific implementation. If Google had decided in the middle of talks that they would just roll their own solution, it makes sense to tell their engineers not to touch the details of VSL's system, lest it influence their own implementation/solution.
hkmurakami 12y ago
Remember everyone, "Don't be evil!" wink wink nudge nudge
- allegory 12y ago
  If you think this is evil you want to see how patents are handled in the defense industry. Company A copies company B's idea straight from the patent, company B finds out and confronts company A, company B gets a call from the government (who are buying the product from company A) saying "cease or we stop contract X with you". That leaves company B to fight in a foreign market only which is why you see a lot of defense products sold overseas only... Lawyers don't even get a look in. Edit: just to add, yes this is illegal but try going up against the government after you've signed various secret development agreements with them. Occasionally these things do go to court but you don't see it as they are sealed.
  - bellerocky 12y ago
    > company B gets a call from the government (who are buying the product from company A) saying "cease or we stop contract X with you". I'm pretty sure that's illegal, at least in developed countries. I'd record that call and leak it to the press or something, see how that works out for them. Government agents unduly threatening retribution for lawful disputes between private companies is probably a small scandal.
    - pyre 12y ago
      I remember reading an article/blogpost about a specific instance that was related to technology that could be used to tap underwater fiber optic lines. The company with the patent wasn't a government contractor. They ended up in a situation where a big government contractor got to benefit from the fruits of their innovation, while the government basically said, "f*ck off."
icantthinkofone 12y ago
A scribbled note on a post-it doesn't mean policy. It may not even represent fact. I don't see where anyone could go with this.
- gress 12y ago
  It's evidence of intent.
tdicola 12y ago
What a weird premise for an article, that a careless post it note is the cause for the lawsuit. Perhaps Google shouldn't have (allegedly) infringed on the IP in the first place instead of being annoyed that they were sloppy and got caught doing it.
- danbmil99 12y ago
  Turn it around: think of Google as a young startup, VST is a big 800-lb gorilla. Startup is working on something cool; big gorilla comes along and says "hey, you should buy that from me, and/or license my patents". But maybe patents are these all-too-common obvious troll-patents, and startup's stuff is different anyway. But startup would still be rightfully concerned about (arguably frivolous) lawsuits. Seems like the perspective changes depending on who plays David and who is Goliath. Generally, YC crowd is pretty hard core anti-patent, especially where software and algorithms are concerned.

30 points by dlgeek 12y ago

gress 12y ago

If this is representative of Google's general approach to dealing with partners, then it should be fully exposed and prosecuted. Google has enough power and money not to need to act in bad faith like this.

pyre 12y ago
I feel like we need more details to start passing judgement. For all we know VSL is trying to claim that their patent gives them a monopoly over an entire problem domain rather than just a specific implementation. If Google had decided in the middle of talks that they would just roll their own solution, it makes sense to tell their engineers not to touch the details of VSL's system, lest it influence their own implementation/solution.

hkmurakami 12y ago

Remember everyone, "Don't be evil!" wink wink nudge nudge

allegory 12y ago
If you think this is evil you want to see how patents are handled in the defense industry. Company A copies company B's idea straight from the patent, company B finds out and confronts company A, company B gets a call from the government (who are buying the product from company A) saying "cease or we stop contract X with you". That leaves company B to fight in a foreign market only which is why you see a lot of defense products sold overseas only... Lawyers don't even get a look in. Edit: just to add, yes this is illegal but try going up against the government after you've signed various secret development agreements with them. Occasionally these things do go to court but you don't see it as they are sealed.
- bellerocky 12y ago
  > company B gets a call from the government (who are buying the product from company A) saying "cease or we stop contract X with you". I'm pretty sure that's illegal, at least in developed countries. I'd record that call and leak it to the press or something, see how that works out for them. Government agents unduly threatening retribution for lawful disputes between private companies is probably a small scandal.
  - pyre 12y ago
    I remember reading an article/blogpost about a specific instance that was related to technology that could be used to tap underwater fiber optic lines. The company with the patent wasn't a government contractor. They ended up in a situation where a big government contractor got to benefit from the fruits of their innovation, while the government basically said, "f*ck off."

icantthinkofone 12y ago

A scribbled note on a post-it doesn't mean policy. It may not even represent fact. I don't see where anyone could go with this.

gress 12y ago
It's evidence of intent.

tdicola 12y ago

What a weird premise for an article, that a careless post it note is the cause for the lawsuit. Perhaps Google shouldn't have (allegedly) infringed on the IP in the first place instead of being annoyed that they were sloppy and got caught doing it.

danbmil99 12y ago
Turn it around: think of Google as a young startup, VST is a big 800-lb gorilla. Startup is working on something cool; big gorilla comes along and says "hey, you should buy that from me, and/or license my patents". But maybe patents are these all-too-common obvious troll-patents, and startup's stuff is different anyway. But startup would still be rightfully concerned about (arguably frivolous) lawsuits. Seems like the perspective changes depending on who plays David and who is Goliath. Generally, YC crowd is pretty hard core anti-patent, especially where software and algorithms are concerned.