Submission + - The Crowd versus Patent Trolls... (ipwatchdog.com)
PTOvertime writes: Article One Partners announced yesterday that patents held by NTP Incorporated are the focus of three new requests for research ($35,000 in rewards), which Article One Partners refers to as Patent Studies. NTP was made famous for its litigation against BlackBerry maker Research-in-Motion (RIM) that resulted in a settlement north of $600 million. New litigation by NTP has expanded the assertion of patent infringement to other top players in the mobile and smartphone industry, which is prompting Article One Partners to engage their global community of researchers by challenging them to identify evidence predating the patents in question and which can be used to invalidate one or more of the patent claims owned by NTP.
Author Gene Quinn of IP Watchdog, speaking to the NTP patent disputes, as well as the new entry of Intellectual Ventures (largest patent holding company) into the courtrooms with the first if its own patent infringement suits, writes,
"The rhetoric files back and forth and has presented the industry with real problems from a philosophical, moral and legal standpoint. Focusing on the alleged evil of the patent troll ignores the infringer and gives those who are tortfeasors a free pass, because after all isn’t those who infringe that are the bad actors? But focusing on the alleged infringers and shining the spotlight there ignores that fact that the NTP model has grown almost out of control and unchecked, to the point where patent infringement lawsuits are filed against small and mid-size companies after no due diligence, or after due diligence that ends with whether the title of the patent generally describes the business area in which the defendant is engaged. Madness abounds."
Great read... lets fire up the Patent Troll debate to hear what the Slashdot community has to say on both sides of the Patent Troll issue — from the active NTP and Intellectual Ventures litigation that will impact us all, to the crowdsourcing techniques of Article One Partners posting bounties for evidence to help validate legitimate patents, or invalidate those granting unjust monopoly.
Author Gene Quinn of IP Watchdog, speaking to the NTP patent disputes, as well as the new entry of Intellectual Ventures (largest patent holding company) into the courtrooms with the first if its own patent infringement suits, writes,
"The rhetoric files back and forth and has presented the industry with real problems from a philosophical, moral and legal standpoint. Focusing on the alleged evil of the patent troll ignores the infringer and gives those who are tortfeasors a free pass, because after all isn’t those who infringe that are the bad actors? But focusing on the alleged infringers and shining the spotlight there ignores that fact that the NTP model has grown almost out of control and unchecked, to the point where patent infringement lawsuits are filed against small and mid-size companies after no due diligence, or after due diligence that ends with whether the title of the patent generally describes the business area in which the defendant is engaged. Madness abounds."
Great read... lets fire up the Patent Troll debate to hear what the Slashdot community has to say on both sides of the Patent Troll issue — from the active NTP and Intellectual Ventures litigation that will impact us all, to the crowdsourcing techniques of Article One Partners posting bounties for evidence to help validate legitimate patents, or invalidate those granting unjust monopoly.
