
An Army Is Forming To Battle Patent Trolls - grimey27
http://www.rackspace.com/blog/an-army-is-forming-to-battle-patent-trolls/
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HistoryInAction
I'd certainly like to see EFF on that list, but we've got Business Software
Alliance (Microsoft) and Engine Advocacy (Google) on there. No one with strong
grassroots ties among startups unfortunately.

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sliverstorm
Seems OK to me. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and whatnot.

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fnordfnordfnord
Except the BSA only wants to end the patent trolling that's done by
individuals and small entities. Which won't be distinguishable from small
entities defending legitimate patents.

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ivanca
Legitimate patents can die for all I care. We have a brain too; using it in a
particular way before someone else do should give you no advantage. Let the
implementation do the fighting.

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fnordfnordfnord
>Legitimate patents can die for all I care.

I've never had much respect for the way patents really work. But I don't
expect to see the whole thing razed any time soon.

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will_brown
I tried to measure HN interest in Crowd Sourcing challenges to Patent Trolls
(<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5573778>).

It is very commendable that rackspace is taking this to task on both fronts,
individual patent challenges and lobbying efforts to change the law. However,
this also has the immediate effect of encouraging trolls to go after the
little guys and no longer companies who can afford litigate.

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hollerith
I always thought that patent holders cannot make money suing the little guys.

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will_brown
Patent trolls try to force them to settle for nominal amounts to avoid
litigation, one example I heard is a troll sending demands to the end users of
copy machines "that scan to email" instead of the manufacturers and retailers.
At that point it is a numbers game if they get 1% of end users to pay $1000 it
adds up. Now that is some of the more egregious (maybe unlawful) examples but
it will become more common.

Edit: This is a link to one article about my example
([http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/04/meet-the-nice-
guy...](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/04/meet-the-nice-guy-lawyers-
who-want-1000-per-worker-for-using-scanners/)) it seems the troll went after
small business and demanded $1,000/employee using the scan to email function.

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hexagonc
Here's a thought: if we're serious about patent trolling, I mean _really_
serious about it then why not march? I'm talking about demonstrating in front
of cityhall with signs and speakers on megaphones. I'm talking about a rally
against patent trolling. If potheads can get together for their 420 rallies
then why can't we get together in a visible way to express our views? The
quote from Howard Beal in the _The Network_ (excellent movie, by the way) was
especially apt.

We start by designating an official "patent free day", blessed by the EFF and
Free Software Foundation. This is the day that we hold our demonstrations.
Imagine the sight of hundreds of out of shape engineers demonstrating with
their pocket protectors -- they _must_ be serious. I'd do it, at least if it
was over the weekend. For me, at least, it would be awkward to do it over a
weekday, because the company I work for is big on patents (even though the
rally is really against patent trolling and not software patents themselves,
although I am against those as well).

Do it.

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xradionut
See how well OWS did? The banks reformed their ways, gave the ill gotten gains
to charity and all is right with the world now... /sarcasm

Marching isn't going to change a damn thing when the folks in the IP
protection business make 8 figures a year and can buy the government.

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ordinary
You're right. Marching and protesting does not guarantee success. However,
sitting on the couch doing nothing guarantees failure.

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mistercow
There seems to be an excluded middle here.

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ereckers
Good. There's nothing that can ruin your day faster than getting a letter in
the mail stating that you are in violation of this and that and you could be
prosecuted for up to a quarter million dollars.

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ireadqrcodes
go get em. where is the flattr button?

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samspenc
Yeah! Been waiting for this forever. +1.

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piyush_soni
Tighten your seat belts, rotten Apple. :)

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D9u
I'm with you!

I seem to recall a time when "ly'ers" (lawyers) were prohibited from assuming
political office...

Now they've taken over.

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will_brown
Just to stick up for my kind a little (lawyers that is), Thomas Jefferson was
a 21 year old lawyer when he drafted the Declaration of Independence; good ol'
Honest Abe was a lawyer and pushed for the Emancipation Proclamation; and one
of my personal favorites is Gandhi.

And to stick up for the profession not just a few individuals, when Clinton
lied under oath, the only real action taken against him was by his State Bar
who immediately disbarred him despite him being President and unlikely to ever
practice again.

Edit: Jefferson was 33 when he drafted the Declaration of Independence (credit
- rqwerwqerwr)

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rqwerwqerwr
It could also be argued that they did good things in spite of being lawyers.

Looked up the thing about Thomas Jefferson drafting the Declaration of
Independence at 21 and this is what I found in wikipedia [1]:

Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 (April 2, 1743 O.S.) – July 4, 1826) was an
American Founding Father, the principal author of the Declaration of
Independence (1776)

Seems like he was in his thirties. Care to correct yourself?

[1] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson>

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androidb
it's about time

