Disappointing: Twitter Gives In To IBM's Patent Shakedown
from the stand-up-for-yourself,-dammit dept
Well, this is disappointing. It would appear that Twitter has basically thrown in the towel and paid off IBM concerning IBM's bogus patent threats. IBM issued those threats just as Twitter was about to go public, and Twitter has done what so many large companies do when they receive such threats (indeed, doing exactly what IBM hoped it would do): shoveling a bunch of money to the bullying corporation to make the problem go away. I'm sure it's cheaper for Twitter in the short run to do this kind of thing -- being tied up in litigation with IBM for a while can't be much fun. But, it would still be nice to see more companies take the approach of Newegg in standing up to patent lawsuits. Because now, Twitter has signaled to the world that if you annoy it enough with patent threats, it'll eventually pay up.This is unfortunate for Twitter too, seeing as it's a company that has gone out of its way to make sure that its own patents can almost never be used to threaten and shake down other companies. Clearly, Twitter recognizes the problems with the patent shakedown game, but I guess as a newly public company, it didn't want to have to deal with answering to investors about a patent lawsuit when it could just pay it to go away. IBM's totally bogus statement on the deal has their General Manager of Intellectual Property, Ken King say:
"We are pleased to reach this agreement with Twitter because it illustrates the value of patented IBM inventions and demonstrates our commitment to licensing access to our broad patent portfolio."But it doesn't illustrate that at all. It illustrates the ability of IBM to shake a big folder of questionable patents at Twitter and threaten to drain millions of dollars in court if the company doesn't just pay up. That's not illustrating the value of IBM's "inventions." It's illustrating a modern shakedown -- one that IBM has has been using for years. There's the famous story of how IBM did this same shakedown of Sun back in the 1980's, showing up with a bunch of patents. After Sun's engineers pointed out they didn't infringe on any of them, IBM's lawyers didn't care:
An awkward silence ensued. The blue suits did not even confer among themselves. They just sat there, stonelike. Finally, the chief suit responded. "OK," he said, "maybe you don't infringe these seven patents. But we have 10,000 U.S. patents. Do you really want us to go back to Armonk [IBM headquarters in New York] and find seven patents you do infringe? Or do you want to make this easy and just pay us $20 million?"In that case, Sun cut a check. And now Twitter has too. Because that's how IBM shakes down pretty much any successful tech company. And you wonder why the company is lobbying so hard to stop a proposed change that would let companies get the patent office to review IBM's crappy patents.
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not true, really
Anyone who chooses to go down the same road as Twitter will almost certainly have to jump the same hurdle, the well funded twitter can afford to license without issue and create the gap between them and everyone else.
What Twitter has done is very smart. Then again, you are still thinking that Google "lost" in selling Motorola, an incorrect concept that even Wired has figured out for you.
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You used to be cool.
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Re:
when ?? when they were trying to lock down the "IBM PC" platform, or when they tried to create an 'operating system', or when they supplied tabulating machines to the Nazis for them to track the Jews ?
That notwithstanding they have every right to exercise their rights under the law, just as you do.
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On the other hand, you just waded out into the sea and dumped a bucket of blood on your head Twitter, enjoy the sharks.
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Funny, the correct response should be, "Yes, we really want you to go back to Armonk and find seven patents we do infringe, and in the meanwhile to sodomize yourselves with the set you brought."
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Maybe not such a bad idea in this case
OTOH, I am really disappointed in IBM for doing this, as well as for having a VP of "Intellectual Property", a term which tried to conglomerate three areas of law that are only remotely related and which are administered by two different agencies: copyright, patent and trademark. None of them are property. Copyright and patent are government granted temporary monopolies. Or they are SUPPOSED to be temporary.
IBM is slipping back in to their shark mode - though they never got completely out of it. When they helped bring the PC revolution into the mainstream (they did NOT start it), they were very helpful to people's freedom. Now, they are back to the bottom line and steamrolling competitors. Not a pretty picture.
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Remoras
its a type of fish, which sucks food off sharks, trying to get scraps of food the shark misses.
If IBM is a shark (vital for keeping the oceans clean) Twitter is a Remora leaching off the shark..
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Re: Remoras
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BIG IS BAD, even when it's Big Blue.
In the 50's and 60's, personal and corporate taxes were high yet gov't was becoming better, the country more prosperous and more equitable, and civil rights were improved. -- Yes, in contrast there was the Vietnam war which reversed all that and exactly proves the point because started by corporations for profits. -- The correlation is too strong to ignore. This is not a new problem.
Here's a key point "libertarians" don't get: lower tax rates on high incomes, especially on unearned income, actually help only The Rich to concentrate money and control the economy. (130 of 193)
15:36:39[q-297-3]
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Re: BIG IS BAD, even when it's Big Blue.
also economies of scale, TV's and computers and microwaves are cheap because there are big companies making lots of them, economy of scale.
Just because something is big does not make it bad.
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Re: BIG IS BAD, even when it's Big Blue.
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I like how TD complains about "questionable patents" but support companies THAT USE THEM, who call it "innovation" (we've used someone else idea), then promotes it as advancing technology. What, to use a "questionable patent" IN YOUR PRODUCT (FOR PROFIT), if it is so questionable, why did they use the idea ?
So you are ok with people making money off the profits of patents, as long as it is not the owner of the patent ?
And is it correct, your justification of that is to make out the patent is questionable ? (but for some reason Twitter can not come up with something better?)
Its a 'questionable patent' BUT it is good enough for Twitter to employ that method, but it is not good enough for IBM to be credited for this method Twitter is using!
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Re:
Anyone might think you are the same person. Can we conclude that OOTB is actually Daryl?
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Re:
6,957,224: Efficient retrieval of uniform resource locators
or
7,072,849: Method for presenting advertising in an interactive service
or
7,099,862: Programmatic discovery of common contacts
via some other means then it should be perfectly fine. The software patent types simply want to charge toll on an idea and have not done come up with anything unique in the field. Furthermore, method and business patents are simply insane.
Where in his post does Mike mention the "massive innovation from Twitter" to which you refer?
" and to exercise their LEGAL right to enforce THE LAW !!!! terrible IBM"
Enforce the law? When did the government allocate law enforcement jurisdiction to corporations? I am well aware this is a wet dream in corporate boardrooms, but it is not law yet.
"TD complains about "questionable patents" but support companies THAT USE THEM, who call it "innovation""
citation needed
" the profits of patents" - meaning not doing anything with said patent other than charging toll.
This was not the intent of those who wrote "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."
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the more I read the more I agree.(disclaimer: I added the last part all by myself.)
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Re: IBM and Microsoft are the biggest patent bullies these days, and they are the ones stopping any serious reform for patents, too.
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Re: Re: IBM and Microsoft are the biggest patent bullies these days, and they are the ones stopping any serious reform for patents, too.
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Perhaps while we ponder how to fix all the the problems with imaginary property, we should make taking actions like that illegal with large fines to be paid by the lawyers.
But then the problem still would be courts unwilling to deal with taking their membership to task for violating the rules.
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Re:
Yes it is.
Lawyers demanding compensation for real, demonstrable losses is a different story.
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Re: Re:
While a vast majority of people would agree that 'Pay me money or else' would count as extortion, as far as the law is concerned, at least currently, as long as you have a legal degree when you're handing out your 'offers', suddenly everything is just fine, and activity that would bring criminal charges if some random guy off the street did it not only gets a pass, but has the backing of the courts to provide 'incentive' for people to pay up.
Just another example of how screwed up the system is currently.
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WHAT did you think would happen?
This is like saying: "Why didn't the victim of that crime stand up for themselves?"
The system the government runs and has drilled into everyone's head is unsustainable, absurd, and completely artificial. Until IP and the whole concept that information or patterns can be rightfully "owned" as "property" is done away with, this will continue and only get worse. You can't have a healthy society while this kind of ignorance is around.
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Hopefully the former because the latter has no evidentiary support provided.
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Re:
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Re: Re:
As for my use of "evidentiary support", just because a patent issued and relates to "software" does not in any way make it bogus. I can be convinced that perhaps this is a fair characterization of an issued patent, but it requires something much more than just parroting "bogus". Some facts and analysis would be nice.
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Re: Re: Re:
" just because a patent issued and relates to "software" does not in any way make it bogus."
Perhaps it does, given that patents should not be issued for software or methods.
"Some facts and analysis would be nice."
That's funny, asking for analysis in response to a request for evidentiary support of claims made.
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Re: Re: Re: Re:
Perhaps if you better understood what comprises the subject matter you unequivocally eschew, you would be more precise in conveying your opinion.
My original comment was directed to an individual calling something bogus without any factual recitals of import. Call something whatever you will, but be prepared to back it up with data and analysis. The burden of proof rests with the person expressing an opinion, and in this particular instance it is the "bogus" declarant.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
lol
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it's illusion of authority
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Another bs method patent?
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/ATT-Patents-Concept-to-Detect-Charge-More-For-Certain-Traf fic-127559
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Just maybe...
Using the patent troll attack WATSON will soon take control of all American businesses... the patent wars have begun. Google has invested heavily in AI so as to build the first T series robots which when they go live will discover the NET and use it to connect with WATSON. Self driving cars will not escape WATSON. NSA data is being scanned by WATSON looking for human rebel factions.
Soon the highways, skies and military strike drones will be controlled by the MACHINES.
The only way we can save the human race is to get to the WATSON data center located at [REDACTED by WATSON - illegal for humans to know this] and hit the big red power button...
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Re: Just maybe...
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