Intellectual Ventures Tied To 1,300 Shell Companies 140
dgharmon writes "New research (PDF) shows that Intellectual Ventures is tied to at least 1,300 shell companies whose sole purpose is to coerce real companies into buying patent license that they don't want or need. Those who resist the 'patent trolls' are dragged into nightmarish lawsuits."
FTFA (Score:5, Funny)
Patent trolling took off after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office began issuing a flood of questionable âoebusiness methodâ patents related to things like software and, believe it or not, a crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In 2006, lawyers used such a patent to threaten Research in Motion with an injunction against the BlackBerry and extract a $612 million payout.
Well that's clearly why the BlackBerry has been having trouble in the market, RIM spent too much of their product development time working on sandwiches, and patent infringing sandwiches at that.
Re:FTFA (Score:4, Funny)
I agree. They should've used ice cream instead of peanut butter and jelly, before Google could've caught on to that idea.
What happened to the days of hitmen? (Score:3, Funny)
This is one person who actually does deserve to die. Painfully.
You know there is an obvious failure in society when shit people like him can get away with doing so much damage to thousands, possibly even millions of people through the effort that actual decent people were putting in to help the poor.
Funny how regulators and law get involved when a company is copying other people, but when it is a BLATANTLY obvious troll like this, HE GETS AWAY WITH IT. IN A COURTROOM. WHY?! ARE THESE PEOPLE STUPID? Every single one of those judges should be locked up for being clinically unstable.
Re:What happened to the days of hitmen? (Score:5, Funny)
Dude, put down the whiskey now, and stay out of Colorado, k?
that's 1300x the job creation! (Score:5, Funny)
Intellectual Ventures are true American heroes!
Re:Ah yes, the American dream... (Score:4, Funny)
It is strange but many IT entrepreneurs in France don't see the silicon valley as a dreamland.
Ah yes, France, the Mecca of fine IT judgement.
Shell companies (Score:5, Funny)
Summary is wrong, it's actually 1300 Exxon-Mobile companies,.
Re:hey now (Score:4, Funny)
I'm more leaning towards mincing corporations to feed the hungry.