Intel files an Anti-trust Case Against SoftBank-owned Tech Firm

jardows

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From Techpowerup

Intel filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Fortress Investment Group, a firm owned by Japan's SoftBank, over alleged malpractices with their patents. Intel alleges that the company stockpiled patents to make a living out of IP disputes with other companies, including Intel.

Reading the article it seems like Fortress IG is a patent troll, which I'm all in favor of squashing, and think it is great that a company with Intel's size and resources are taking them to task. But isn't Intel filing an ant-trust lawsuit a bit of the pot calling the kettle black?
 
So when google or intel or ms sue for patents currently unused by them.. Are they trolls?
So whats a troll?
They don't sue to protect their unused patents? ... Cause google intel and ms (and so on) are saints rights?
Should Intel "win" it might be a short sighted move.
But likely they will lose.
Ah I get it, there's patent trolls and patent farms... You see one purchased them, and another just churned them out willy nilly out of their labs.
Purchased=bad
Farmed= good.
Doesn't make sense, I don't think there should be a distinction. Its either both ways are a valid way of doing business or neither of them are.
Just becuase you churned a bunch of patents from your lab doesn't make them more or less legitimate. Or it shouldn't in my view, it would make the playing field irregular, ( to say this patent is less valid becuase it was purchased, and the company has no active research) also, it risks the system itself, as I said.
Now different issue, is the system any good?
Could it be better?
Don't know, maybe.
And no and not "in favor" of trolls... I just understand that google or apple etc can be just as trollish as what we single out as a troll.. so then, so what, its the system we have.
 
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not defending intel or other big ones but these patent trolls usualy snap up expired patents or buy them cheap just to sue people intel and others usualy use the stuff they patent not just to sue people.
 
not defending intel or other big ones but these patent trolls usualy snap up expired patents or buy them cheap just to sue people intel and others usualy use the stuff they patent not just to sue people.
Expired then renewed patents?
Can you sue for money with expired patents like retroactively?
Regardless... To me if Intel was to sue and win in a definitive manner then perhaps the patent landscape will change for everyone, and the system will be prone to less abuse by all players ( to the extent these things work out) .
I do fail to see how you could single out ' trolls' all the while yourself benefit from the same legal grey area as a 'troll'. Being that all these mayor companies patent all kinds of garbage that they may or may not sue for ; basically the big companies have the company and their products patented or otherwise, plus a patent troll department, lets be honest about this.
 
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