Facebook Ordered (Again) To Turn Over Source Code
from the this-still-makes-no-sense dept
Last year, we wrote about an odd patent lawsuit brought against Facebook by a company called Leader Technology. What was odd was that Facebook didn't seem like an obvious target for the patent (7,139,761) about associating a piece of data with multiple categories (and, actually why the idea that associating a piece of data with multiple categories should be patentable is another of life's mysteries). We actually thought it was more of a publicity stunt by Leader Technologies, rather than a serious lawsuit. But, we were surprised last month when a judge actually ordered Facebook to turn over its source code as a part of the lawsuit. This didn't make much sense to us. The source code really should only matter if it was a copyright infringement suit, not a patent one. Besides, why should Facebook turn over all of its source code over such a minor issue of associating a piece of data with multiple categories. At the very least, it should just be whatever part of the code that Leader believes is infringing.Facebook objected to the ruling, but Ravish lets us know that the judge has denied Facebook and once again demanded the company hand over its entire source code. Even though Leader will only be able to view the source code under the watchful eye of Facebook representatives, it still seems quite extreme that a judge would require that Facebook reveal its entire source code to a company that is a competitor.
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Filed Under: patents, source code
Companies: facebook, leader technology
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nvm facebook am i supposed to hand in my Access and excel data?
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can you say money grab?
I wonder if the judge is just on Leader Techs payroll or if he is a shareholder
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Re: can you say money grab?
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honestly thats giving up trade secrets to satisfy a clearly bogus patent.
Moreso, how was that patent even issued, its perhaps the most basic taxonomy and yet its patentable? Then again here is Aus you can trademark a colour.
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Re:
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Make Money Running Facebook, Twitter, And Viral Web Applications
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Re: Make Money Running Facebook, Twitter, And Viral Web Applications
who'd hear the case? :S
[well, there's probably a way to do it, but it seems amusingly weird. kinda like 'who shaves the barber' :D]
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How to
Should be enough to drive anybody mad...
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Re: How to
This is your short comment in BIN. Imagine their entire source code...
... Or what about in reverse?
"...dam ydobyna evird ot hguone eb dluohs ...taht weiv ot meht wolla dna yranib ni yllaedi edoc eht ffo tnirp ylpmis koobecaf tuoba woh"Morse code anyone?
".... --- .-- .- -... --- ..- - ..-. .- -.-. . -... --- --- -.- ... .. -- .--. .-.. -.-- .--. .-. .. -. - --- ..-. ..-. - .... . -.-. --- -.. . .. -.. . .- .-.. .-.. -.-- .. -. -... .. -. .- .-. -.-- .- -. -.. .- .-.. .-.. --- .-- - .... . -- - --- ...- .. . .-- - .... .- - .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- ... .... --- ..- .-.. -.. -... . . -. --- ..- --. .... - --- -.. .-. .. ...- . .- -. -.-- -... --- -.. -.-- -- .- -.. .-.-.- .-.-.- .-.-.- "[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: How to
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Anyone Who Has Ever...
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Re: Anyone Who Has Ever...
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Re: Anyone Who Has Ever...
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Doesn't the US nuclear reflex system have "categories" to decide which cities get targetted by which missiles?
therefore, Leader should be able to see the entire source code (which I assume would also include a database of current stored source/destinations for each silo).....
oh yes and banks do it too....so Leader is now entitled to see the bank account source code along with the "multiple categories" of customers name/address/bank details/current balance/items withdrawn/purchased / deposited
and as a final thought..they are also allowed to see the source code/category list for every type of electronic lock in the world (including fort knox and the president's secure access for launching nukes)
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Source code for patent suit might be relevant
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Go to www.facebook.com. Click "view source". Save as html. Send that crap to Leader Tech ;)
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wtf
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Judges in glass houses...
Seriously, why do we allow judges to judge matters they have little to absolutely NO comprehension of?
There should be special judges for technical matters that are out of the experience of the average judge. AND, there should be a TEST to determine whether a judge is qualified - you don't pass the test, you don't get to judge the trial.
Knowing the law is useless if you don't know what the law applies to.
Judging the law of something you don't understand is a violation of due process.
But like doctors, most judges think they "know it all".
Sad... and disturbing.
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Everything infringue this patent...
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The truth about Marc Zuckerman...
Facebook is actually a series of "all nautral" tubes and wheels, held together with paperclips and chewing gum.
In order to master the new technique, you have to wear Adidas Sandals anywhere you go.
But sometime soon, he'll advance into a Level 3 "Granola" Programmer. You'll know he's advanced when he starts to wear Birkenstocks and riding a bike to work.
Level 3 Granola Programmers are the type you really need to be worried about because they want to change society to fith their ideal.
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A little legal sense here
If the software relating to the patent is as elementary as it seems at first glance, Facebook could easily defend itself with a "prior art" claim, that is, by proving the code in question was in general use before it was patented and therefore the patent is invalid. If the patent is declared invalid, all programmers will benefit from the eradication of another bogus software patent.
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Re: A little legal sense here
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duh
Anybody got the link to the patent?
Hold a tick...can patents fall under multiple categories in the patent db?
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Re: duh
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Facebook should sue...
Seriously, someone in the US needs to start a class-action lawsuit against the US Patent Office, until they clue up that they are causing damage to the US economy by allowing this crap, and also making the US patent system the biggest joke in the world.
Did someone get the Marx brothers to setup the US Patent Office?
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Did anybody actually read the patent?
"Boards": Content generated by a user (email, files, messages etc) is associated with that user. Very similar to the concept of a FaceBook wall.
Obviously this isn't enough to justify the entire patent case, but in some ways I can see why they targeted FaceBook.
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Judicial Geographical Inconsistencies
One post says that this judge is just following the law, one must not forget that the judicial system IS NOT the justice system and that common sense, justice and basic fairness no longer applies .... to anything. I doubt the judge is on the take in any way but I'm sure he is surrounded by those who are.
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the judge
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CMSs and big IT apps
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>>by Dave
>>If he was affiliated with Leader in some way he would >>have recused himself.
So judges who take bribes and are in the pocket of unscrupulous organizations always excuse themselves from a trial if its a conflict of interest?
What a fascinating world you live in, where everyones innocent, no-one takes backhanders and screws over justice, and there's sunshine and kittens everywhere you go!
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This is totally insane
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I know this story from the 1996 beginnings
Leader Technologies is being sued by the state of Ohio and countless numbers of former investors, directors and employees. There is no love for this entrepreneur. He is reviled by a very long list of people. His company faces bankruptcy because the government froze his accounts and garnished his customers, unwilling to play his games of deceptions any more. He keeps pissing off as many people as he can, anyone he comes across.
McKibben's patent is frivolous, and even the system described isn't his invention. Nothing ever is. It was probably invented by employees and associates in 1997 predating his patent filing. Some employees likely had no formal agreement to assign any of the "technology" to McKibben or the company.
Facebook should look into those that wrote up the system described there for him over the years prior to the patent filing, thus invalidating the claims that it is an original idea. That's the easiest way to break Leader's claims. At the very least, get the court to order Leader to disclose potential inventors of the patented technology pre-dating the patent.
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Source Code
irishpoems
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