"Microsoft has placed a clutch of Silicon Graphics patents in the hands of those trying to defend Linux and open-source against trolls. The Open Invention Network has taken ownership of 22 patents covering operating systems, desktop, and browsers applications, after they were bought from Microsoft by middleman Allied Security Trust."
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Member since:
2005-07-13
Member since:
2006-11-27
This is a really expensive way to dodge a tiny part of the software patent problem, and it involves paying Microsoft millions, so I don't see much of a victory.
Starting October 2nd, the Supreme Court of the USA will be reviewing the patentability of software for the first time in 28 years. I'm working on an amicus brief for that case before that date. If anyone wants to help, it would be very useful to expand the swpat.org wiki's information about studies which show the harm of software patents:
* http://en.swpat.org/wiki/Studies
And to add more info about arguments for abolishing software patents:
* http://en.swpat.org/wiki/Arguments
Thanks.
(Is the last "b" in this quote a typo: "The cost to defend a patent action ranges from $3.5 to $5bn" ?)
Member since:2006-06-21
Yes, that's $3.5 million to over 5 billion! For each patent!
In which case a few million up front for taking the two dozen patents off the market doesn't seem so bad.
I wanted to make an analogy with the cold war nuke stock-up (which still holds true for what companies are doing to each other nowadays with patents). But OIN doesn't fit in that analogy. If anything, they'd be the guys who purchase the nukes so they can dismantle them.
Member since:
2006-01-04
In point of fact Microsoft sold off these patents that it bought from SGI to a patent aggregator, Allied Security Trust, who is making them available and OIN is taking them up on it.
AST is the same company that bought a patent from SCO under the guise of Black Maple.
http://scofacts.org/SCO-Group-bankruptcy-287-3.pdf
Reference to Black Maple is at the bottom of page 17.
You may also see info on this at Groklaw.
http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20071229234539621
Member since:
2008-08-25
