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Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

arstechnica.com

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Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#4
I thought it was impossible to be more of a douchebag than Intellectual Ventures, but apparently, there's a new winner in town. It was obvious when the Rockstar bid won and you looked at who made up the group, what was going to happen.

I used to get really angry and outraged when reading stories like this, but now I'm just resigned. Patent reform isn't going to happen and this kind of predatory and unethical abuse of the system by sharks and parasites will continue as the cost of doing business.

One can only hope for karmic retribution one day.

Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#5
post #3
post #2

I wonder... If Google were to pony up the cash to buy RIM, wouldn't this lawsuit go away?

I would think this will definitely increase Google's interest in RIM and its patent arsenal.

RIM is a co-owner of Rockstar.

Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#6
The patent system has been out of hand for a while but the big corporations haven't complained too much about it because having huge patent portfolios themselves allowed them to build a virtual moat around their business units.

If things go nuclear and they start hemorrhaging even more legal fees, they may begin to exert more pressure to change the system.

Given some of the recent proposed legislation, hopefully the tide is turning against filing patent lawsuits as a business model.

Re: Patent war goes nuclear: Microsoft, Apple-owned “Rockstar” sues Google

#9
'One patent filed in 1997, for a "navigation tool for graphical user interface," describes a way of navigating through electronic documents. Another describes an "Internet protocol filter," and a third patent describes an "integrated message center."'

Well with earth-shaking innovative patents like that I hope they succeed.

I would never have thought of an integrated message center for anything.

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