“Paul G. Allen’s claims that 11 companies including Google Inc. and Apple Inc. infringed his business’s online-shopping technology should remain on hold while the U.S. government reviews the quality of its patents, the defendants said in a court filing,” Susan Decker reports for Bloomberg.
“U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman in Seattle ordered on June 16 that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office be given time to evaluate whether the four patents cover novel inventions, a decision that Allen’s Interval Licensing LLC has asked to be reconsidered,” Decker reports. “The defendants, which also include EBay Inc., Facebook Inc. and Netflix Inc., said yesterday that the judge’s decision ‘was correct and based on a reasoned analysis.'”
Advertisement: Students, parents and Faculty save up to $200 on a new Mac.
Decker reports, “In granting the request to put the case on hold, the judge, who has yet to rule on Interval’s request, said the agency review could “reshape” the patents. The patents, which mainly cover common electronic-commerce applications for displaying and categorizing product information, were obtained from a defunct computer-science and communications research business Microsoft co-founder Allen and David Liddle formed in 1992. Allen, 58, controls Seattle-based Interval, a patent- licensing company that is seeking unspecified cash compensation and a court order to block further use of the inventions.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Allen should stop being a patent troll.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Judge Bork” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Woz: Paul Allen should stop ‘that patent troll thing’ – May 4, 2011
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen refiles lawsuit against Apple, Google, Facebook, eBay, others – December 29, 2010
Google, Apple, others want Paul Allen suit dismissed – October 25, 2010
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s lawsuit against Apple and many others is a crock – August 28, 2010
Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen sues Apple, others alleging patent violations – August 27, 2010
Paul Allen sues EVERYONE but the one person he should sue…
His Dentist!
He should also sue his other former partner, Bill Gates.
The last time I saw a mouth like that it had a hook in it!
If Paul Allen refuses to floss and brush, what’s a dentist to do? –Make money off the sucker!
I’m gagging just imaging Allen’s bad breath.
Who needs teeth when you have that much money, he probably pays someone to chew up his food for him!
I wonder what kind of salary a professional masticator earns?
Probably commensurate to a toothless masturbator
Why, I oughta ….
Bill Gates: He’s tough and ruthless
Paul Allen: Hes rough and toothless
Together, they have launched on a plot to destroy the world.
That’s got to be one of the best responses I have read in a long time. Thanks for the good laugh!
She doesn’t swallow.
But Toothless does…
I’ve patented something the act of waving my hands and saying “you know what I mean” to cover just about anything.
Seriously: the group missing out the most are sci-fi writers from the 1960’s. Think of how many patents they could have landed for describing how things could work 40-50 years out.
I bet they’re kicking themselves. In their graves.
Arthur Clark came up with the idea of geo-synchronis satellites for global communications way before the 60s in a sci-fi book. Scientist and engineers finally figured out how to realize his vision. I don’t think Clark applied for a patent or attempted to cash in on trillions since earned in the communications/satellite industry.
Paul Allen is nothing but a bottom-feeding opportunist who has absolutely no financial need to be doing this. That makes him simply a parasite and parasites need to be dealt with. I suggest setting up a mailbomb campaign or a flashcrowd something or other to flood his website with spam or other nastiness. I have no idea how to do any of this but will gladly participate just to eliminate this parasite. {not suggesting a hit, merely a way to put him out of the patent trolling business]
i love how when paul allen sues he’s “a patent troll” but when apple sues they are “protecting their intellectual property” against evil criminals, MDN should remove their “take” on the story. we’re mature enough to make our own.
It’s all a matter of perspective. From one perspective, Paul Allen is attempting to extort money for meaningless patents obtained from a defunct business from 1992. From another perspective, Apple is suing companies for copying Apple’s groundbreaking design work in mobile electronics that has resulted in products that are so popular that they cannot make enough to satisfy demand.
Perspective…
Perspective can be everything.
But the overall situation is that Apple is the #1 tech innovation company on the planet. For decades they have been the #1 place from which to rob ideas. Of course Apple is going to protect and defend their work.
Meanwhile, patent trolls and submarine patent parasites are a dime-a-dozen and have been a long term, constant source of destruction, wasted time and money within the computer community. Of course they are considered a plague upon the industry. Paul Allen qualifies, in this case, as one of those parasites.
Big Time Troll! Not a need in the world to do this! What an ego! He could be doing something productive with his $$
Paul Allen: Persistent parasite of the computer community.
OMG ! This is “Jaws” !
Want a laugh? Here:
http://rentalcar9000.blogspot.com/2006/01/paul-allens-yellow-teeth.html
scroll down to the bottom.