Patent troll claims ownership of interactive Web - and might win

[CyGuy]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/n...-might-win.ars


"The city of Tyler, Texas, is better known as the nation’s “rose capital” than as a hotspot of the technology industry. It’s a quiet, conservative city of about 100,000, full of wide streets and big trucks.

This week, though, Tyler is the site of a remarkable battle over the history of the World Wide Web—a trial that could affect the future of e-commerce. The federal courthouse downtown is packed to the brim with dozens of lawyers, representing the world’s biggest Internet companies, including Yahoo, Amazon, Google and YouTube.

A succession of pioneers of the early Web—including the Web’s father, Tim Berners-Lee himself—has flown in from around the world to denounce two software patents they believe threaten the future of Web innovation. East Texas has transformed itself into something of a haven for patent suits over the past several years, but by any standard, the trial now underway is an extraordinary circus of dark suits."

I find this odds of them winning this about the same as them spontaneously sprouting a tail, but who knows...

[jgaiser]

Texas Jury Strikes Down Patent Troll's Claim To Own The Interactive Web.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1268043.html

[CyGuy]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Texas Jury Strikes Down Patent Troll's Claim To Own The Interactive Web.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1268043.html

Well that is good news, thanks for the update!

[teh603]

Glad to hear it happened, although I'm surprised it did. Its a good sign that the jury smacked it down.

[WT Sharpe]

This is the dumbest thing to happen since 1943, when the Prankster copyrighted the alphabet and demanded royalties of anyone who ever used any of the letters. Had not Superman found that the Prankster had replaced the registrar at the copyright office with an impostor, we might still be paying royalties for every letter we type.

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

This is the dumbest thing to happen since 1943, when the Prankster copyrighted the alphabet and demanded royalties of anyone who ever used any of the letters. Had not Superman found that the Prankster had replaced the registrar at the copyright office with an impostor, we might still be paying royalties for every letter we type.

Would that make us all a bunch of dirty, copyright-infringing pirates for typing?

[bbqncigars]

Two representatives for the University of California (lawsuit partner to the troll) are reported as stating "A total bummer" and "Heinous ruling". ;-)

[carpetmojo]

One would hope, in a sensible world - which this is, of course - "powers that be" would simply say "look, this may be strictly legal, and a judgement has been won - but it's stupid, you've got a bloody cheek, and normal rules cannot apply, in such a case. Bog off. "

However, as all know, this would open the door for more opportunities to take this as a precedent, and "The Bog Off You're Being Stupid" legal arguement would invariably be used in more and more instances .......

So, we're left with the understanding, intelligence, sensible feelings and plain common-sense of the Judges and the Juries.......

[teh603]

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

So, we're left with the understanding, intelligence, sensible feelings and plain common-sense of the Judges and the Juries.......

Sad part is, certain parties are probably going to make the judge and jury out as being some kind of commie- liberals wanting to undermine the "necessary and proper" advance of capitalism. Or something like that.

Me, I'm just happy someone was finally able to stand up to them and their litigation machines when it mattered.