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Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue

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Re: Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue

#31

Good. There are few things which can effect change better than billionaires in fear of losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year. When it happens to small fry you lament because they can't do anything to change and end up settling to save themselves or losing and losing everything. When it happens to the 55th largest company you rejoice because they have the power and motivation to change the rules.

ever the optimist eh?

Re: Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue

#32
Wow the Microsoft angle is pretty corrupt. They paid the plaintiff a million bucks plus 5% of the judgement they get against Google, effectively bankrolling their lawsuit and putting a patent troll on commission.

There's near-endless bitching and whining about Google being evil these days, but even today nobody sinks as low as Microsoft.

Re: Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue

#34

"While publicly-traded Vringo" - hum, somehow they have a market cap of $332.30M.

Almost 334 now; it was the first thing I checked after reading that story.

A hostile take over might be cheaper than paying royalties.

Re: Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue

#35

Good. There are few things which can effect change better than billionaires in fear of losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year. When it happens to small fry you lament because they can't do anything to change and end up settling to save themselves or losing and losing everything. When it happens to the 55th largest company you rejoice because they have the power and motivation to change the rules.

ever the optimist eh?

Every now and then our government can be corrupted by rich folk to do good.

Re: Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue

#36

Good. There are few things which can effect change better than billionaires in fear of losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year. When it happens to small fry you lament because they can't do anything to change and end up settling to save themselves or losing and losing everything. When it happens to the 55th largest company you rejoice because they have the power and motivation to change the rules.

I remember thinking exactly that, when Microsoft was hit by the $100M Stac Electronics judgement in 1993. "Surely large companies will understand now that they have a lot more to lose from software patents than they could possibly have to gain," I said to myself. "I'll bet they're calling their pet Congressmen and writing checks this very minute."

I've been wrong before, but not usually that wrong.

Re: Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue

#37
post #26

Vringo isn't your average patent troll and actually has a fascinating back story and history behind it. Here's a good link to understand the background. http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/31/why-google-might-be-going-t...

Note that the author is an investor in Vringo.

Re: Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue

#38

Wow the Microsoft angle is pretty corrupt. They paid the plaintiff a million bucks plus 5% of the judgement they get against Google, effectively bankrolling their lawsuit and putting a patent troll on commission. There's near-endless bitching and whining about Google being evil these days, but even today nobody sinks as low as Microsoft.

I read it as Microsoft paid a million dollars and will pay 5% of what Google pays. I dislike Microsoft as much as the next guy, but it seems like they believed the patent would win in court and wanted the cheapest way out.

Re: Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue

#39

Article makes no mention of the validity of the patent. Does the court not take that into question?

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/11/06/why-vringo-...

Specifically, Vringo states, yesterday the USPTO "mailed a notice that it will issue a certificate confirming that all of the claims of U.S. Patent No. 7,775,664 challenged by Google remain valid and unchanged." For those of you keeping track, this is the second of two patents -- the first of which was validated in a similar decision in July -- which had been the subject of a contentious, long-standing legal battle between Vringo and the likes of AOL, Google, IAC/Interactive, Gannett, and Target. Now that both patents have been validated, it paves the way for Vringo to collect royalties

Re: Court: Google infringed patents, must pay 1.36 percent of AdWords revenue

#40
One thing to consider is if Vringo is bankrolled by a steady $200+million revenue stream, they are most likely going to turn around and use that money to buy up patents all over the place. I doubt the money will be used to create any products. We'd be looking at the next Intellectual Ventures, backed by a massive hundred million dollar guaranteed revenue stream.

Even if you hate Google, this is a pretty raw deal for the industry.

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