Patent Troll Is Suing Hotels For Offering Wi-Fi

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If this isn't the biggest shakedown ever, I don't know what is. I also like how they are offering settlements for less than it costs to hire an attorney, so most small business owners will settle out of court. :(

Delaware company Innovatio IP Ventures, LLC is scaling up its patent litigation assault against businesses that offer wireless Internet to customers, filing six infringement lawsuits this month against individual branches of some of the country’s largest hotel chains. It’s a new tack for the company, which began filing patent claims in March against coffee shops and restaurant chains, including Caribou Coffee, Cosí and Panera Bread Co., and department stores.
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Sometimes I think there may be a place and purpose for groups like anonymous after all.
 
This whole patent system is such a joke.

Groups with money hoard these patents for no reason other than to sue people to make more money. WTF. And it's amazing what people can get by with on these patents.

How about a system that requires you to actually put that patent to use or you loose it. All this system does is slow down advancement and innovation.
 
Wait, don't a majority of places that offer wi-fi use either At&t, T-Mobile or some other provider? Are they just going after business that use a regular wi-fi ap/router?
 
After reaing the article I have to say thanks to Broadcom corporation for transferring the patents to that patent troll. :rolleyes:
 
I guess this can keep up for maximum of 3 to 5 years, then the whole patent system will be nullified and rebuilt from scratch.
 
After reading the article, what is the patent about? Anonymous should direct their site to places like this.
 
I told you guys this would happen, It's the new business model. Try to litigate you way into prosperity.
 
Methadras said:
I told you guys this would happen, It's the new business model. Try to litigate you way into prosperity.
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Don't forget to defend yourself once you get there too! Lawyers have to eat too., whoddathunkit
 
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one word, stupid, waste of time...every store, company person is offering wi-fi in my town.
 
yeah, this one seems to be a far stretch, then again, RIAA has no problem suing the end users of file sharing software.
 
"Innovatio has made a strategic and business judgment at this stage that it doesn’t intend to pursue [lawsuits on the basis of] residential use of WiFi"

Yea, because as soon as that happens they'd get buried under a class action suit......
 
innovation at it's best ..... in the courts. The new way to make profits.
 
How exactly are hotels and coffee shops violating a patent on something that they didn't manufacture?
 
It seems more appropriate to sue the makers of these networking devices than the people who actually use them. At first I thought there was a patent for providing wireless internet to customers, but the article just says the patents are for the technology. Patent stuff needs to be seriously overhauled.
 
I don't know how they can sue the end user. Can Amana sue me for buying a GE microwave? Can Monster sue me for buying generic RCA cables?

Patent Law Reform needs to start soon. I suggest the first move is that patents can only be transferred by the sale of the company or department. No selling off patents to Trolls or other companies.
 
az_max said:
I don't know how they can sue the end user. Can Amana sue me for buying a GE microwave? Can Monster sue me for buying generic RCA cables?

Patent Law Reform needs to start soon. I suggest the first move is that patents can only be transferred by the sale of the company or department. No selling off patents to Trolls or other companies.
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I don't think patent law reform even applies to this. I don't think this is legal under the current broken law. LOL
 
Im baffled how on how a business is doing anything wrong by using WIFI......baffled, and its so stupid I dont even wanna read into it to find the gimmick or hook that their using "patent"....I thought a company had to willingly and knowingly do something wrong when wifi has been around for like 10 years
 
I bet THAT would be the ultimate patient trolling! Youtube, porn,adobe, PORN...the dollars would never stop! :):eek:
 
so someone has a wireless network, like the first people ever! And allows people on them... Prior Art, yet here's a guy (law firm) who claims to own a patent on the BUSINESS MODEL of selling that? Give me a fucking break, it's already been done, there fore any patent he was issued is invalid, hopefully he does sue huge name hotels and one of them decides to step up to the plate and fight this in court rather than a payout.
 
According to some other articles a couple hotel chains hit with the letter are requesting a jury trial.

It was either Marriott or Comfort Inn chicago
 
“Innovatio has made a strategic and business judgment at this stage that it doesn’t intend to pursue [lawsuits on the basis of] residential use of WiFi,” McAndrews said during a phone conversation last week.

(Niro’s offices in downtown Chicago are located about five blocks away from Innovatio’s office. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office shows another address for Innovatio, in a house at the end of a cul-de-sac in Ladera Ranch, Calif.)

As if to assure anyone who owns a laptop, smartphone or tablet that they’re not in danger of finding themselves in the company’s cross hairs, McAndrews added that he doesn’t “perceive” Innovatio’s litigation strategy changing. McAndrews did not respond to queries about who is behind Innovatio.
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Go ahead and try to sue a few hundred million people. lol?

These fools need to be broken.
 
I hope they have to pay the defendant's cost when they lose well should lose but its the us court system..
 
How is this all not extortion?

I just dont get why no one has filed criminal charges against companies like this one.
 
Thank goodness Congress passed Obamacare, instead of something useful like tort reform...
 
In casting such a wide net, Innovatio (it means “innovation” in Latin, McAndrews said) displays a new approach in patent enforcement. In a field where patent-holding companies often demand six- or seven-figure dollar amounts for damages, five-figure settlements are considered basement-low. By demanding a few thousand dollars, Innovatio ensures that, for many small business owners, taking up a legal defense won’t make financial sense.
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Sounds really innovative.

Laws should exist that specifically make this type of action a crime. Until then, I pray enough hotels fight the suits in principle rather than just paying off these douchebags.
 
I dont understand how you can buy a patent and then claim damages on something that was happening prior. If the patent claim was valid shouldn't the previous owner have taken action and wouldn't that mean the the price the new owner paid should have been much higher?

If you say I will buy this patent from you for very little, and then I will sue all these other parties for using the patent aren't you implying that your patent was worth more then what you paid for it?

I just don't understand how someone can buy a patent knowing full well what it is and then immediatly claim damages on it. Where is the damage or loss in that?
 
Things like this remind me of documentary I watched call Money as Debt that made the statement "People used to work for money, now they let the money do the work". It undermines the very concept of an economy.
 
Why are only certain businesses being sued? How is Starbucks not mentioned? This company seems like they should not allowed to do business in this country anymore. I really do hope Cisco and Motorola take them out.
 
Because they are being very picky with their lawsuits. According to their claims every user of WiFi owes them money (sounds familiar). But they are only sueing companies that they think:

A: Can afford it
B: But not so much that they have good lawyers on call

To me I think this would be a tell tell sign of abuse. If you have a valid patent claim then you are supposed to protect it. Picking out specific parties seems arbitrary and discriminatory.
 
Oh,.... I wish they get a hotel that is owned by a Mexican, Black, Asian or something, and then get sued for Racism! That would make me so happy right now.
 
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