Google: Don’t Let Trolls Win

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I'm with Google on this one, let's kick some patent troll ass. While we are at it, let's kick the USPTO in the nuts too for handing out patents on some of the most ridiculous crap on the planet. :D

Last year alone, more than 4,000 patent lawsuits were filed in the U.S; it’s the highest number ever recorded. Software and internet patents are litigated about nine times more often than other patents. Many of those suits seek to exploit low-quality software patents. Increasingly, these lawsuits are filed by plaintiffs who never did the hard work of actually creating a real product or service related to the patent claim.
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While I know this will eventually turn into an Apple bashing thread, I wholeheartedly agree with the concept Google is laying out here. I think most people do.

Sadly reform isnt as easy as simply snapping ones fingers :(
 
Great to see Google kicking some ass. Excellent article and I'm with them 100% on this. I'm not a fan of Apple or the overly aggressive way they do business. I wholeheartedly believe in capitalism and buying the best product for my needs (that's why I have an iPhone 5), and that said, I don't like to see progress get stomped on by (usually needless and baseless) regulation.
 
First, get rid of software patents. Software is already protected by copyright law.
 
Although the article is written by a google employee, the article actually paints apple as a victim of trolls.

We need clearer rules for damages and awarding costs. The prospect of lottery-ticket damage awards (like the recent $368 million award against Apple) encourages abuse by trolls instead of encouraging real product innovation.
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Really I don't mind the big companies that actually do real work litigating against each other. It's the small innovative companies that are far more at risk cause then don't have the money to fight off trolls so they have to basically settle or just take business elsewhere.
 
Software patents are BS. Out of curiosity, I went back and read some of the project requirements I had to follow in my computer science classes back in college. I was amazed at how similar the project descriptions were to software patent descriptions and claims. But the even crazier part is the fact you could have 50-100 students all follow the instructions fully, yet you'd get 50-100 different solutions to the problem. I remember on one of our major projects, the instructor was impressed with the way I demonstrated my solution, and he was saying how my approach was very unique.

And that's why software patents piss me off. They're the equivalence of patenting the concept of an engine which covers any implementation, from piston to rotary to steam. Any idiot can come up with the concept of an engine, but you have to know what you're doing to actually implement it. Any idiot can come up with an idea for software, but you have to have fundamental understanding of the environment to actually make anything of it.

Like the article says, nobody would find it acceptable to patent the idea that you can cure headaches with a pill, but that's effectively what many of these software patents are doing.
 
Fuck Google and their double faced intentions.

If you think Google is your friend and somehow "nicer" than Apple then think again. They want money and power, especially in govt, same as every other corporation.
 
I say just investigate USPTO. Sometimes it takes seven eight years, and then came Apple and got page turning approved in under 12 months.
 
Terminus said:
Fuck Google and their double faced intentions.

If you think Google is your friend and somehow "nicer" than Apple then think again. They want money and power, especially in govt, same as every other corporation.
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Yes, but you have to take the good with the bad. In this case, it's good. Whether or not they are manipulating the playing field to their advantage has yet to be seen, but it's a good start. Just have to make sure there is no bias towards a single company or tactic. Just because Google starts this doesn't mean they get special treatment or special input with the process. Google isn't a nice company - they are a company out to make money, and that's about it.
 
Terminus said:
Fuck Google and their double faced intentions.

If you think Google is your friend and somehow "nicer" than Apple then think again. They want money and power, especially in govt, same as every other corporation.
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This has nothing to do with how "nicer" a company is. It is about patent reform. The message is sound no matter the source.

On the other hand, I haven't seen a good butt-hurt conspiracy theory today so please enlighten us on Google's grand plan. I'll bring the popcorn.
 
DocFaustus said:
On the other hand, I haven't seen a good butt-hurt conspiracy theory today so please enlighten us on Google's grand plan. I'll bring the popcorn.
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I'm pretty sure Google is trying to block patent infringment litigation because they don't want to have to patent their efforts to crossbreed gerbils with trees to make treebils that will one day eat green pellets in your front yard. How evil of them!
 
I recently interviewed at a very profitable "intellectual property defense" company. The place had a really weird vibe.
 
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