
Life360 CEO calls patent troll "Piece of Shit" - stevencorona
https://twitter.com/ChrisHulls/status/467799031251365888
======
crhulls
Hi guys, Life360's CEO here. Thanks for the help. As a bit more color, the
company that is suing is seems to be failing and this is a desperate last
gasp.

Checkout [http://www.agisinc.com/](http://www.agisinc.com/)

As Steve mentioned, we just raised $50m, so we have to spend some real cash to
get this invalidated, we'll do it. When we were smaller we would just pay
these assholes off, but now we have a warchest we won't roll over so easy.

~~~
paul9290
Good on you! You were lucky to the point of creating something that you got
the rich to back you and lucky that people used your product.

For the unlucky their is the patent system in which can be used to get ones
fair share!

~~~
paul9290
Why is this being downvoted?

This is not a patent troll, rather it's a company still in business who is
struggling. Are they supposed to just shut down and fail and give up their IP
because of it?

In start-ups your either lucky or unlucky. The unlucky work just as hard as
the lucky!

~~~
xelipe
Because any sentiment other than "fuck those patent troll piece of shit
douchbags, bro" will be voted down by the pro life360 cabal.

~~~
crhulls
I think it is being downvoted because it doesn't address the real content
here. We are being sued for having markers on a map. Who cares if the company
is operating or not?

------
justinsb
If you're hoping to see patent reform, this dispute seems to be the wrong one
to focus on. This strikes me as more of a genuine argument, and not a flagrant
abuse of the system that would likely lead to change:

* AGIS seems to be a genuine company, that filed its own patents, and has a real product. There are much clearer examples of trolls out there.

* The patent claims are highly specific. This is not a "...on the Internet" type patent.

* Life360 is not (yet) claiming they don't infringe; they are focusing on obviousness.

* The patent system now has a relatively straightforward, quick and inexpensive system for getting a patent re-examined. Life360 hasn't (yet) said they will do that.

* The Life360 strategy seems to be primarily PR-driven: attention-grabbing language, posting things on Twitter, contacting journalists, etc. This reminds me of the legal saying: "If you’re weak on the facts and strong on the law, pound the law. If you’re weak on the law and strong on the facts, pound the facts. If you’re weak on both, pound the table."

To my mind, this argument seems more likely to boil down to "should ideas be
protected by patents", instead of "should we do something about shell
companies that abuse patent law to extort money".

------
blhack
I don't really think that AGIS is a patent troll... It looks like they're a
real company that makes real products.

~~~
crhulls
You can be a "real" company and still be a patent troll. These guys are
probably failing and using their patents to get a few bucks before they
finally die.

~~~
xelipe
Your definition is not accurate. Just because one company raises more money
than another does not make the company failing in the market place a patent
troll. By this definition IBM is a patent troll.

~~~
crhulls
I don't think amount raised has anything to do with it.

I'd say you are a patent troll anytime you are using a bullshit patent to
extort a third party. The rub is what constitutes a bullshit patent, but
"sending messages through a map UI" seems obviously in this camp. It sucks you
have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars for the courts to validate this
logic though.

So by that definition, I'm sure IBM could be a patent troll, just like any
other company with BS IP.

~~~
paul9290
So your company doesn't own any patents?

~~~
xname
There are patents and bullshit patents.

------
Nexxxeh
Calling a spade "a spade" is one thing, but this does seem a bit childish.

Edit: typo

~~~
caffeineninja
Morals are out the door when attempting to extort money from legitimate
companies to fill your coffers.

~~~
akerl_
I wasn't aware we should behave poorly just because patent trolls behave
poorly.

~~~
stevejones
One party is engaging in extortion, the other used an insult. Have a sense of
proportion.

------
caffeineninja
The relevant case documents:

[http://dockets.justia.com/docket/florida/flsdce/9:2014cv8065...](http://dockets.justia.com/docket/florida/flsdce/9:2014cv80651/441826)

~~~
caffeineninja
And the patent numbers:

7,031,728, 8,126,441 & 7,672,681 which cover "using a map to initiate a rapid
voice communication or text message"

------
stevencorona
Just speculation (I work at Life360), but we announced our $50m Series C this
week.. looks like the patent troll got the news, too.

------
us0r
Awesome if it is a troll. More people should do it.

It appears this is an actual company though and they filled in Florida not
East Texas?

------
mullingitover
So explain like I'm five: is this an overly broad patent on an idea, e.g. they
have a 'system and method for catching mice' and they're suing everyone who
makes anything that catches mice? Or did they invent a particular type of
mouse trap, and they're suing over someone who is selling the exact same
implementation? I love a good angry mob as much as the next guy, and can fully
get behind the name-calling if there's something truly nefarious, but help me
understand exactly what's being litigated here and why AGIS is deserving of
the 'piece of shit' label.

------
moubarak
What i don't understand is why do they start with a lawsuit. Why didn't they
contact Life360 to work something out, like a partnership. Life360 seems to be
the big fish. A greedy small fish trying to eat a big fish is a bad idea i
think.

~~~
scrabble
The document very explicitly states that they contacted Life360 to work out a
patent licensing arrangement, not with a lawsuit. So they did exactly what you
suggested.

It looks like the suit wasn't filed until they were called a "Piece of Shit"
for attempting to work something out.

~~~
moubarak
ok got it. jeez with the down votes!

------
le_meta
This is HN now.

