Interesting (long) story about patent trolls

[Goeroeboeroe]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/...patents-attack

[GreyGeek]

It is a long story, but well written. The bottom line is this: the greed of these patent trolls, made possible by the BROKEN USTPO system, is costing the consumers BILLIONS of dollars, and for nothing else than to stuff the pockets of owners of NPE's. Corporate America is totally corrupt and has corrupted, willingly no doubt, our legislative and legal systems.

[MoonRise]

It is a long story, but well written. The bottom line is this: the greed of these patent trolls, made possible by the BROKEN USTPO system, is costing the consumers BILLIONS of dollars, and for nothing else than to stuff the pockets of owners of NPE's. Corporate America is totally corrupt and has corrupted, willingly no doubt, our legislative and legal systems.

+1. Agree whole heartedly.

[SteveRiley]

Saved to my ReadItLater list. One thing worth mentioning: Intellectual Ventures wanted to interview me for an opening a few years ago. I chatted with the folks there a bit, and decided it was a dangerous place.

[GreyGeek]

Did you check their bathrooms?

I ask that only in partial jest. When I was doing consulting programming, before I'd sign a contract with a putative client I'd excuse myself to go to the employee's bathroom. If it was stinky, dirty and obviously not cleaned or maintained for months or longer, I concluded that they didn't care one whit for their employees welfare and would treat me the same way. I would then price my services out of their range and leave.

[SteveRiley]

That's too funny. But now, of course, it's also committed to memory: which means I'll probably start doing the same thing!

[SteveRiley]

Wow...

That's $4.5 billion on patents that these companies almost certainly don't want for their technical secrets. That $4.5 billion won't build anything new, won't bring new products to the shelves, won't open up new factories that can hire people who need jobs. That's $4.5 billion dollars that adds to the price of every product these companies sell you. That's $4.5 billion dollars buying arms for an ongoing patent war.

This is why I like NPR. Sometimes not afraid to draw conclusions. I only wish they would do this more often, and more strongly.