Nigerian Company Sues OLPC

d0ida writes on the continuing troubles at the OLPC Association. Adding to the recent difficulties — the BBC has picked up the litany — a US-based, Nigerian-owned company has now filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against OLPC. Lagos Analysis Corp. claims that OLPC "made unauthorized use of LANCOR's multilingual keyboard technology invention in XO laptops." The suit was filed in Lagos.

The scams are getting more ridiculous every day.

[Anonymous Coward]

Patents. What will they think of next?

So tempted

[JohnnyGTO]

to make 419 scam jokes, must resist...

They hold the patent for first use

[Gumbercules!!]

... for sending SPAM from the OLPC

A _little_ more info on this.

[robbak]

http://www.olpcnews.com/hardware/keyboard/olpc_patent_infringement_scam.html [olpcnews.com] I like how the Nigerian patent office has an @yahoo email address!! Prepare for things to start getting wierd.

But they'll settle....

[saxoholic]

They'll call off the lawsuit if they receive 20 laptops within the next 2 weeks, and will pay OLPC $5000 on receipt of said laptops...

If LANCOR wins. . .

[idesofmarch]

Will they demand to be paid via Western Union?

DEAR SIR

[v_1_r_u_5]

LAGOS, NIGERIA.

ATTENTION: THE PRESIDENT/CEO

DEAR SIR,

CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL

HAVING CONSULTED WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED FROM THE NIGERIAN CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO REQUEST FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE TO TRANSFER THE SUM OF $47,500,000.00 (FORTY SEVEN MILLION, FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) INTO OUR ACCOUNTS. THE ABOVE SUM RESULTED FROM A PATENT INFRINGEMENT LAWSUIT, EXECUTED COMMISSIONED AND PAID FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS (5) AGO BY A FOREIGN CONTRACTOR. THIS ACTION WAS HOWEVER INTENTIONAL AND SINCE THEN THE FUND HAS BEEN IN A SUSPENSE ACCOUNT AT THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA APEX BANK.

WE ARE NOW READY TO RECEIVE THE FUND OVERSEAS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORM YOU THAT AS CIVIL SERVANTS, WE ARE FORBIDDEN TO OPERATE A FOREIGN ACCOUNT; THAT IS WHY WE REQUIRE YOUR ASSISTANCE. THE TOTAL SUM WILL BE SHARED AS FOLLOWS: 70% FOR US, 25% FOR OUR LAWYERS AND 5% FOR LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPENSES INCIDENT TO THE TRANSFER.

THE TRANSFER IS RISK FREE ON BOTH SIDES. I AM AN ACCOUNTANT WITH THE NIGERIAN NATIONAL PETROLEUM CORPORATION (NNPC). IF YOU FIND THIS PROPOSAL ACCEPTABLE, WE SHALL REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:

(A) YOUR BANKER'S NAME, TELEPHONE, ACCOUNT AND FAX NUMBERS.

(B) YOUR PRIVATE TELEPHONE AND FAX NUMBERS -- FOR CONFIDENTIALITY AND EASY COMMUNICATION.

(C) YOUR LETTER-HEADED PAPER STAMPED AND SIGNED.

ALTERNATIVELY WE WILL FURNISH YOU WITH THE TEXT OF WHAT TO TYPE INTO YOUR LETTER-HEADED PAPER, ALONG WITH A BREAKDOWN EXPLAINING, COMPREHENSIVELY WHAT WE REQUIRE OF YOU. THE BUSINESS WILL TAKE US THIRTY (30) WORKING DAYS TO ACCOMPLISH.

PLEASE REPLY URGENTLY.

BEST REGARDS

Translation error

[Dan East]

There may have been a translation error, leading the Nigerians to believe OLPC was an acronym for One Litigation Per Child.

Dan East

Dear Mr. Slashdotter

[SpeedyG5]

As lead council I am tasked with getting hard working folks for a class action lawsuit. In fact there is money to be paid out to all comers, now. For a small down payment of $10,000 you can get a share of the 15 billion we have currently collected. Please email me your personal information, social security number, payment information etc so you can receive a one time lump sum payment.

Bob Cummings Esquire
Nigerian Law Council Partnership Program
1 Important Legal Way
Sokoto Nigeria

Re:patent troll.

[somersault]

Probably because you can't spell "quarter". And we all know that if you can't spell, you're a troll.

Nigerian Lawsuit?

[Damocles the Elder]

When I read this, I thought it was going to be a complaint about the laptop having some anti-spam software on it.

Re:He's in Natick, only 19.2 miles from OLPC!

[apt142]

That's why you got to check first. It goes something like this:

*ring, ring*
Home Owner: Hello?
You: Dent? Arthur Dent?
HO: Yes, that's me.
You: Arther Phillip Dent?
HO: Yes?
You: You're an arse hole!
*hang up*

419

[Mateo_LeFou]

Dear Honest Individual
I am Stella McBride, aged 21years old the daughter of Late Darl Makoba a politician ,gold and software merchant from Angola. I and my mother now residing in Senegal dakar west africa.
As a result of the on-going problem in our country, we must relocate US$500 million of intellectual property to an overseas account...

Re:Better yet, just don't send them

[hedwards]

I've been puzzling over how this company could possibly have a patent on dead keys, and yet only now after however many decades of computers having dead keys is suing a charity.

Referring to dead keys, and presumably additional silk screening as an advanced multi language keyboard, is a little like referring to congress as an advanced noise machine. Sure the keyboards do have additional features, and congress does make noise, but in neither case is it particularly unique.