Microsoft co-founder and uber-billionaire Paul Allen owns a ton of assets, most of which can fit on the head of a pin (with room to spare). His assets are mostly patents on technologies acquired over the years.
Now he is suing Google, Apple, AOL, eBay, Facebook, Netflix, Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, Yahoo and YouTube for patent infringement. The suit relates to patents having to do with online navigation and viewing technology. Forgetting for a moment whether the suit has merit, I'm curious how business owners feel about Allen's strategy and the larger issue of patent trollers who acquire rights to ideas so they can later sue and settle with companies that may have a similar concept.
What's your view? Is Allen right to to go for a few extra billion (tens of billions?) or does his suit represent a potential drag on innovation? (Not that I feel sorry for the likes of Google, Apple, Facebook et. al. They could all use a kick in the pants now and then.) Have you ever been on the giving or receiving end of a patent suit? What was that like? Please comment.
This only proves that greed knows no bounds. How about the wheel? didn’t he have something to do with that invention?
And what about breathing? What, he is not taking credit for that also. What gives here?
I’ve been on the recieving end of a trademark suit. These are tried in the Patent & Trademark court, so I do have some experience. My suit was primarily frivolous and mostly without merit. That didn’t matter to the Court! The only thing that counted here was who had the most money & time to “play the game”. It cost me damn near $100,000 cash out of my damn pocket & the primary winners were the bloody lawyers! All over nothing at all! “Officers of the Court” my foot! Hypocrites the lot of them! None of them were the least interested in my issues, as they were simply building more and more billable hours! & the Court was not interested in justice at all; simply moving papers through their precious system! I can absolutely guarantee you there is NO justice – only who has the most $$$ & who knows who! Ridiculous!
Big Dave A may be highly disturbed regarding his passion being shared along with similar passions, or however we make it to be. I agree with both comments above. Regardless, there are many pending cases in treating the human beings by companies not too far from big Dave, where they almost plan destroying lives. Perhaps, there may be a lot of good offered through the companies big Dave got it on with, such as employment, etc., implementing similar technology as Dave’s passion. My advise to Big Dave A would be to let God take charge. No, this is no humor. You are one lucky, intelligent guy Big Dave, and charitable at heart. Just like the Beatles sing in their song “Let it be”.
My apologies to all Daves. The article is directed to Big Paul A. However, “Let It Be”.
I agree with Harry and Dave. There is so much you can do to earn money and patent suit is a cash maker. What is wrong with extremely rich people?
Ahhhh, the debate of “why?” The coin has two sides, so let’s look at what the Allen’s, the Gate’s, and the “Oracle of Omaha” have in common….they give so many billions annually, that the accountants have to buy extra erasers! Turn the coin, and yes, the bottom feeder’s are exploiting every opportunity to “pilfer” a few patent $$’s, and this gain would go nowhere. They, whoever “they” are, probably would use the $$, for their own gain…prove me wrong…? Simple math, big $$, = big target…? There is something to be said, about old school money…you know, the kind that you have to earn…Jerry/Omaha P.S. These people have track records of 20 + years of giving, and yes, they do it because they can…
I have been at the other end where the big boys exploit small companies for ideas and then render them their own blatantly. Patents protect the hard-working creative people as well. The big issue is enforcement and that’s where the legal bills will soar. Not all of us who chase for the rights to their creative ideas are out to “pilfer” patent $$$. So it is okay for others to pilfer ideas? I like what Paul Allen is doing. Just because he is very rich distracts from the issue why we have patent protection in the first place.
Can he take it with him when he goes ?