
Facebook counterclaim accuses Yahoo of infringing 10 patents - evo_9
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/04/facebook-counterclaim-accuses-yahoo-of-infringing-10-patents.ars
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sequoia
"generating a feed of stories personalized for members of a social network"
"tagging digital media" "methods for enabling users to fetch items"

hahahaha... I can't help but chuckle when reading these. Why don't they own
the patents for "displaying discrete items of information in a linear
fashion", "entering personal information into a computer using a hand operated
alphabet device" and "methods for communicating one's emotional state
electronically to friends and acquaintances"? Hmm... that last one might
actually work.

Of course facebook has little choice but to countersue, but I'll be happy when
the ongoing three ring patent circus (or is it freakshow?) is put to rest.

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pyre

      > Hmm... that last one might actually work.
    

LiveJournal would be a huge corpus of prior art from the pre-Facebook days.

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api
... and patent law continues to be nothing more than an employment program for
lawyers, and to impede innovation.

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tmh88j
I had an in depth discussion about patent trolling with a friend's father who
is a very prominent lawyer, albeit not in patent law. Regardless, I mentioned
how ridiculous it has become and gave a couple examples (Honeywell vs Nest,
Yahoo vs Facebook, Arrival Star vs every poor city). He agreed but pointed out
that there's no reason to be upset with the lawyers. It's congress who's
allowing them to get away with it. Subconsciously I knew this, but it's hard
not to be angry with the lawyers who are taking advantage of it.

~~~
reader5000
How are lawyers "taking advantage of it"? Their clients tell them to sue, they
sue.

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tmh88j
>How are lawyers "taking advantage of it"?

I'll search for the link, but I recall reading an article where a group of
lawyers contacted companies who they believe had their patents infringed upon
and offered their services to them.

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mailarchis
There are companies Not necessarily law firms, who provide services on
analyzing patents and submitting a list potential candidates that can be sued.

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wallawe
I just picture Facebook execs in the scarface tone of voice, "you wanna fuck
with me, huh?"

Although two wrongs don't make a right, I'm glad that Facebook took this line
of action. Taking a counter-attack/offensive stance and putting Yahoo on the
defensive will hopefully wake them up to the stupidity of their actions.

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lonnyk
I think Facebook should just pull their access to the FB API. Y! already
stated how helpful it was for their news and then they sued FB. If they don't
like it then don't use it.

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Finbarr
It seems to me that Yahoo has bitten off more than it can chew. I bet Facebook
can out-lawyer them at this stage.

~~~
nullflux
Yes, they can, if not in staff in tenacity.

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kiba
Why did Yahoo think they can attack facebook without facebook countersuing?

Did management gone bonker?

~~~
vibrunazo
IANAL, but I suppose that, since patent claims are extremely subjective to one
judge's personal opinion. That objectivity is of very little concern, the
results are very unpredictable. There's very little precedence to most
software patent suits. So even something that seem objectively ridiculous,
could turn out to be a profitable attempt if you get lucky.

So in short, they know they can get lucky, measure costs and potential
benefits, and assume the risk is worth it. Maybe if it seem unlikely to win. A
dying company doesn't have much to lose. And in the odd occasion that luck is
in their favor. They could win a huge load of money.

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itsnotlupus
Apparently, Facebook recently bought 750 patents from IBM
([http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/23/tech/social-media/facebook-
ibm...](http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/23/tech/social-media/facebook-ibm-
patents/index.html)).

This is probably not unrelated.

~~~
ktizo
I've heard the idea that economically we are in an IP investment bubble at the
moment due to the current IP arms race that is going on over smartphones and
associated internet/tech bobbins.

This got me thinking that if we are in a bubble, what would an IP investment
crash look like? And how would it be likely to start?

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reustle
Let's hope this doesn't get out of hand... remember this?

[http://assets.fiercemarkets.com/files/wireless/fierceimages/...](http://assets.fiercemarkets.com/files/wireless/fierceimages/smartphone_chart_big.jpg)

~~~
doktrin
Frankly, at this point the only viable solution appears for the situation to
truly spiral out of control, with glaringly obvious detrimental effects on
segments of the economy.

Only then, it seems, will legislators be spurred to take action to curb this
inane practice.

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EliteSonic
Patents are killing the damn industry. Sigh.

