Gametime IP
Archive for January 2011
Why Is RPX Going Public? Ask Willie Sutton
Last week, we learned that RPX Corporation (which stands for “Rational Patent Exchange) will soon have an IPO, offering up to $100 M worth of stock to the public. A lot has been written by bloggers and journalists, referring to RPX as Defensive Patent Acquirer, Defensive Aggregator, and Patent Risk Manager. Others explain that RPX … Continue reading
Two Minute Drill
No original content today, but check out my update to the Samy Garb’s pro se attempt to enforce an expired patent. It seems Mr. Gharb has been at this for awhile. Also, here are some interesting news items this week (in case you’ve been under a rock). I’ll probably share my thoughts next week. RPX … Continue reading
A “Polite Request” For One Billion Dollars – Analysis Of A Pro Se Patent Infringement Complaint
UPDATED 1/28/11 (SEE BELOW) Samy Gharb is on a mission. Since November, he has been suing for infringement of his patent (USP 6,552,654) relating to mobile phones and security. Most recently, he sued Rockwell Automation, along with more or less the entire free world. The entire list is on Priorsmart, and includes companies like Fanuc, … Continue reading
Patent Connections – Licensors vs Implementers: Who’s Really Promoting Innovation?
This week’s Patent Connections column offers another look at the role of licensing in the overall quid pro quo of the patent system. Specifically, licensing is examined in the context of litigation over past and continued infringement. It is often assumed that patent litigation reflects one of the costs of the patent system on society … Continue reading
Damn The Injustice!
A bit belated, but in early January, Chief Judge Randall Rader (Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit) spoke in Singapore about a CAFC advisory committee to revise electronic discovery rules. Judge Rader is concerned about the cost of litigation, and in particular the cost of patent litigation (although there was no mention of whether … Continue reading
A Patent Obituary – A Belated Farewell To Engelgau ’565
More than one year ago, the world lost what remained of US Patent 6,237,565. Conceived in 1999, the ’565 had yet to know the impact it would have on the word, nor the fact that it would become known simply as “The Teleflex Patent.” We don’t know whether the hundreds of siblings ever felt overshadowed … Continue reading
On The Qwest For A Single Actor – Infringement Of Distributed “Systems”
Yesterday, the CAFC offered another look into how your patents will be interpreted years after they’re drafted. As I noted earlier regarding the Akamai decision, “there is a world of difference between the use or existence of a patented process, system, or product, and whether that use or existence actually infringes the patent.” Yesterday’s decision … Continue reading
Power Play: Are Trade Secrets More Powerful Than Patents?
The California Employment Lawyer blog alerts us to an ABA-Landslide article discussing the possibility that trade secrets provide more powerful protection than patents. The lawyer’s answer, like the answer to so many questions, is it depends. *Sigh* The passage quoted by CEL summarizes: In recent years, decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and other developments … Continue reading
TI:GERs and Yellow Jackets: Innovation At Georgia Tech
Recently I came across a program at my alma mater called TI:GER (Technology Innovation: Generating Economic Results). It was apparently created in 2002, which is well after I stopped looking for work as an engineer, instead cutting my teeth as a baby paralegal. According to their brochure, they place students into teams consisting of PhD, … Continue reading
Patent Connections – Using Patents To Open Innovation And Open Minds
Another Wednesday, another Patent Connections column. This week I gave my take on “Open Innovation,” a strategy that has been gaining a lot of attention the past few years. While there are a number of blogs and websites out there to read about the details, definitions and executions of Open Innovation, one might simply think … Continue reading
