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Intellectual Ventures cuts 140 employees from its patent-buying workforce

geekwire.com

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Re: Intellectual Ventures cuts 140 employees from its patent-buying workforce

#11

Post by shmerl »

chris_va wrote: post #8
impendia wrote: post #3

> The main issue debated is whether or not companies like IV hurt or help innovation with its business practices. This is an interesting point. Has anyone (without a direct financial interest to do so) made a credible argument that IV is anything other than harmful to innovation?

Good question, unclear answer. IV is not a typical patent troll, so the standard patent troll argument is hard to apply. They do not file large numbers of small lawsuits, but rather a small number of very large lawsuits (e.g. against the Intel/Ford/AIG types). They generally do loser pays, and a few other things that make them hard to bucket as a normal patent troll. IV spends a large amount of money (billions [1]) o…

> IV spends a large amount of money (billions [1]) on purchasing patents. One might reasonably expect that to encourage innovation.

I don't see how purchasing any kind of patents can encourage innovation. Innovation is encouraged by returns from the innovation, not by returns from sold patents. Recycling patents for profit is a completely parasitic business which has nothing to do with innovation.

Re: Intellectual Ventures cuts 140 employees from its patent-buying workforce

#12

Post by jamra »

chris_va wrote: post #8
impendia wrote: post #3

> The main issue debated is whether or not companies like IV hurt or help innovation with its business practices. This is an interesting point. Has anyone (without a direct financial interest to do so) made a credible argument that IV is anything other than harmful to innovation?

Good question, unclear answer. IV is not a typical patent troll, so the standard patent troll argument is hard to apply. They do not file large numbers of small lawsuits, but rather a small number of very large lawsuits (e.g. against the Intel/Ford/AIG types). They generally do loser pays, and a few other things that make them hard to bucket as a normal patent troll. IV spends a large amount of money (billions [1]) o…

It's more simple than that. Does IV produce anything?

If they don't have a product or a revenue stream other than suing companies, then they are parasite to the economy.

Re: Intellectual Ventures cuts 140 employees from its patent-buying workforce

#13

Post by TheMagicHorsey »

IV is a garbage company trying to portray itself as a bastion of innovation.

There are certain severe "bugs" in the way our intellectual property laws work in the US. IV exploits these bugs to make Billions of dollars.

IV is not concerned with whether something is good or not. They exist to make hay while the intellectual property laws remain broken.

I had no idea they had 500 people working for them. That means that there are at least 500 people that are severely deluded, or morally repugnant.

If you are an engineer or a lawyer familiar with the patent laws in this country, you can't read the claims asserted by IV and say that they are boosting "innovation" with a straight face. What they do is a dead weight loss on our economy.

I feel sorry for the people that work at IV. They have whored themselves out for a little bit more money, instead of just working productively in this economy.

I don't know how you can show your face in front of your kids and family knowing you go to work every day in an extortion racket.

I would rather make a modest living and look at myself in the mirror with no shame.

Re: Intellectual Ventures cuts 140 employees from its patent-buying workforce

#14

Post by kqr2 »

chris_va wrote: post #8
impendia wrote: post #3

> The main issue debated is whether or not companies like IV hurt or help innovation with its business practices. This is an interesting point. Has anyone (without a direct financial interest to do so) made a credible argument that IV is anything other than harmful to innovation?

Good question, unclear answer. IV is not a typical patent troll, so the standard patent troll argument is hard to apply. They do not file large numbers of small lawsuits, but rather a small number of very large lawsuits (e.g. against the Intel/Ford/AIG types). They generally do loser pays, and a few other things that make them hard to bucket as a normal patent troll. IV spends a large amount of money (billions [1]) o…

IV outsources a lot of its trolling to shell companies so it can maintain a clean image.

Check out the "When Patents Attack" series from This American Life:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/441/w...

Re: Intellectual Ventures cuts 140 employees from its patent-buying workforce

#15

Post by seanflyon »

shmerl wrote: post #11
chris_va wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good question, unclear answer. IV is not a typical patent troll, so the standard patent troll argument is hard to apply. They do not file large numbers of small lawsuits, but rather a small number of very large lawsuits (e.g. against the Intel/Ford/AIG types). They generally do loser pays, and a few other things that make them hard to bucket as a normal patent troll. IV spends a large amount of money (billions [1]) o…

> IV spends a large amount of money (billions [1]) on purchasing patents. One might reasonably expect that to encourage innovation. I don't see how purchasing any kind of patents can encourage innovation. Innovation is encouraged by returns from the innovation, not by returns from sold patents. Recycling patents for profit is a completely parasitic business which has nothing to do with innovation.

If you give money to people in exchange for innovation that encourages innovation. That said, purchasing patents only encourages innovation if those patents are the product of innovation.

Re: Intellectual Ventures cuts 140 employees from its patent-buying workforce

#17

Post by k__ »

chris_va wrote: post #8
impendia wrote: post #3

> The main issue debated is whether or not companies like IV hurt or help innovation with its business practices. This is an interesting point. Has anyone (without a direct financial interest to do so) made a credible argument that IV is anything other than harmful to innovation?

Good question, unclear answer. IV is not a typical patent troll, so the standard patent troll argument is hard to apply. They do not file large numbers of small lawsuits, but rather a small number of very large lawsuits (e.g. against the Intel/Ford/AIG types). They generally do loser pays, and a few other things that make them hard to bucket as a normal patent troll. IV spends a large amount of money (billions [1]) o…

> Nest bought IV licenses to defend itself from Honeywell

lol, sounds like the mob...

Re: Intellectual Ventures cuts 140 employees from its patent-buying workforce

#18

Post by seanflyon »

jamra wrote: post #12
chris_va wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good question, unclear answer. IV is not a typical patent troll, so the standard patent troll argument is hard to apply. They do not file large numbers of small lawsuits, but rather a small number of very large lawsuits (e.g. against the Intel/Ford/AIG types). They generally do loser pays, and a few other things that make them hard to bucket as a normal patent troll. IV spends a large amount of money (billions [1]) o…

It's more simple than that. Does IV produce anything? If they don't have a product or a revenue stream other than suing companies, then they are parasite to the economy.

That is a simplistic argument. What is the difference between a large company with several labs producing 'innovation' and a large company funding several labs to produce 'innovation'?

Re: Intellectual Ventures cuts 140 employees from its patent-buying workforce

#19

Post by sonoffett »

TheMagicHorsey wrote: post #13

IV is a garbage company trying to portray itself as a bastion of innovation. There are certain severe "bugs" in the way our intellectual property laws work in the US. IV exploits these bugs to make Billions of dollars. IV is not concerned with whether something is good or not. They exist to make hay while the intellectual property laws remain broken. I had no idea they had 500 people working for them. That means that…

Do you find judgement and shame to be constructive communication tools for positive change?

Re: Intellectual Ventures cuts 140 employees from its patent-buying workforce

#20

Post by baddox »

impendia wrote: post #3

> The main issue debated is whether or not companies like IV hurt or help innovation with its business practices. This is an interesting point. Has anyone (without a direct financial interest to do so) made a credible argument that IV is anything other than harmful to innovation?

This is grasping at straws, but I could argue that IV has brought a lot of attention to the ludicrous nature of our IP system, which might lead to increased support of IP reform, which could help innovation.
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