I see I should have written more carefully for
the purists among us.
: )
I didn't say Oracle was good. I said in this fact
pattern, they play the good guy, because they are
trying to destroy 4 patents that a troll has been
using to attack individual app developers and
companies.
The individuals were advised by Florian Mueller to
pay up and get it over with, IIRC, and there were
even conferences on it, how to band together, blah
blah.
Some did pay up, I think, because they were
excised from the litigation. And monies obtained
that way, I gather, are then used to fund more
litigation. It's a racket.
So here comes Oracle, and for whatever personal
benefit, chooses to spend big bucks to fight instead
of paying for its customers. No doubt there was
a financial analysis that indicated this was a
better route, but why do we care? What I care
about is this: there are now two big boys willing
to fight Lodsys. I hope there will be more, and I
don't care who they are or what else they are doing,
in that within the four corners of this litigation,
they are fighting for the right goal.
I don't think the individual apps guys could fight
and win, unless some huge law firm like DLA Piper was
willing to represent them as a gift. They don't have
millions to spend. It takes around $5 million, I read
the other day, to invalidate one patent. Got $20
million? No? Then be *glad* that Apple and Oracle
are willing to spend it, because they have it.
If you were one of those apps developers, you'd view
this as the cavalry coming over the hill, flags flying
and horns blowing. And you'd be relieved.[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]
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