Patent Troll Says Anyone Using Wi-Fi Infringes 436
Posted
by
Soulskill
from the good-luck-with-that dept.
from the good-luck-with-that dept.
akahige sends this excerpt from an article at TechDirt:
"The Patent Examiner blog has the incredible story of Innovatio IP, a patent troll that recently acquired a portfolio of patents that its lawyers (what, you think there are any employees?) appear to believe cover pretty much any Wi-Fi implementation. They've been suing coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants and hotels first — including Caribou Coffee, Cosi, Panera Bread Co, certain Marriotts, Best Westerns, Comfort Inns and more. ... The lawyer representing the company, Matthew McAndrews, seems to imply that the company believes the patents cover everyone who has a home Wi-Fi setup, but they don't plan to go after such folks right now, for 'strategic' reasons."
Nothing from Hams? (Score:5, Insightful)
So, I guess amateur radio operators have been infringing since, what... the early 1900's? Voice is just data, right..?
Take out a hit? (Score:5, Insightful)
At some point its just cheaper to pay someone to take a hit out on a troll like this. Maybe invite him out on your new yacht and have a little accident...
Only one solution. (Score:5, Insightful)
Kill them with fire.
Classic patent trolling (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Classic patent trolling (Score:4, Insightful)
How the christ can it possibly be legal to sue people who use technology that infringes a patent which was sold to them by someone else?
Isn't the whole enterprise of patents supposed to cover the manufacture and commercial sale of inventions, not their use?
Re:Classic patent trolling (Score:3, Insightful)
Can we patent football plays? That would get their attention.
Its time for our government to try like the dickens to encourage people doing things, not beat the hell out of anyone caught trying to do something.
When it comes to productive economic activity, our government seems to look at us like moonshiners.
I wait with baited breath for our government to realize one day that we can't print prosperity, or get it by taking it away from someone else. We have to build it. Once we realize that, we will have unlimited prosperity.
Re:"Strategic Reasons" (Score:4, Insightful)
They could not recoup their losses going after home users the way they can with business users.
What losses?
Frustrating Waste of Money & Time (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Take out a hit? (Score:1, Insightful)
Maybe take away WiFi from a prison and put the word out to the detainees
They're called prisoners. 'Detainee' is State Department newspeak.
Re:Take out a hit? (Score:4, Insightful)
If they just get driven out of the patent troll business, they'll just switch to defrauding the elderly or phishing scams.
Re:I don't see the rationale (Score:5, Insightful)
"The page linked to by this summary did not explain why the patent trolls are going after the users of WiFi devices, rather than vendors."
actually it did:
"The company is demanding a one-time lump sum licensing payment between $2,300 and $5,000 from each of the several hundred defendants targeted in its lawsuits, McAndrews said. Some of the defendants have already settled, he added."
"In casting such a wide net, Innovatio (it means “innovation” in Latin, McAndrews said) displays a new approach in patent enforcement. In a field where patent-holding companies often demand six- or seven-figure dollar amounts for damages, five-figure settlements are considered basement-low. By demanding a few thousand dollars, Innovatio ensures that, for many small business owners, taking up a legal defense won’t make financial sense."
They are suing when they can pursue action cheaper than the defendant can defend. If the patent were strong they'd go after big money, but the big money will fight and since the patent is weak, they will instead play spam.
Also, by suing a large number of people in diverse locations and jurisdictions they will make it difficult for defendants to defend collectively and economically.
Think of all the Jobs Being Created by the Job Creator Class, isn't it lovely?
Their absurdity will eventually do them in. (Score:2, Insightful)
....Just by being themselves.
I've never been a fan of government regulation because they also tend to over-reach and worse, they strip people of liberty. However, every single business regulation can be traced back to someone, or group of someones, who obnoxiously pushed enough people to the edge. We had robber-baron railroad operators. That brought the common-carrier regulations. We had dangerous work conditions and awful long (non-voluntary) work hours. Along came labor regulations and OSHA. A lake burned in the midwest and that gave us the God-forsaken EPA.
These guys are no different. The patent trolls will continue to make public asses of themselves to the point where eventually, some politician will say "ENOUGH!" and give them the spanking they deserve. Sadly, I don't see how the private sector can do anything about it on it's own. It's not like we can just take our business elsewhere.
So while I sigh when I read about the new troll of the week on /., I also look forward to the day when they reap the real fruit of their "labor". Unfortunately, there will likely be unintended consequences that harm innocent people and businesses in the process, as regulation always does.
Who says betterment of mankind? (Score:4, Insightful)
Hat Guy is in it for the movie rights.
Re:Short term thinking (Score:4, Insightful)
If the first guy is found choked to death on his severed genitals (the old Mafia punishment for snitches) it might give others pause.
While I'm not advocating such things, let's not forget that in the early 1900s gangs were NECESSARY because there was no justice to be had from a flawlessly corrupt government. For anyone to get leverage they had to mob up. Union membership could get you murdered, so the unions had to make friends with the Mob to get a "system" on their side. As the elites squeeze out the people, organized "crime" will be the only way for some of them to get a modicum of power.