Summary: An update on Nokia, Intellectual Ventures, and other proxies of the Microsoft camp that pass patents for trolls who attack Android/Linux, FOSS at large, and the industry as a whole (everyone but Microsoft)

WHEN Bill Gates, hiding behind his tax evasion ploy, funded his close friend's so-called 'business' Intellectual Ventures he must have envisioned the potential for abuse against Microsoft's competitors. Over the past few years we have demonstrated this happening. It's not a theory but practice.

Glyn Moody, writing this update about Intellectual Ventures, notes that there were layoffs (due to lack of money) and months ago the troll was reported to have "grown to 800 employees, 70,000 patents." It's a bubble.

As we demonstrated and repeatedly showed some years ago, Intellectual Ventures was lobbying together with Bill Gates, showing the alignment in agenda (they work on some projects together, extorting real companies). "Intellectual Ventures," notes a new report, "which is one of the country’s top patent owners but makes few of its own products, filed to organize the committee with the Federal Election Commission this week."

So they continue to interfere with politics.

Speaking of trolls, Microsoft's troll Nokia (which also sends patents to other trolls) is now the subject of complaints for its trolling (after the European regulators warned about it also) [1]. "A little bit of revisionism there," said iopkh, "the ground was lost because of Elop." (A Microsoft mole)

Nokia, Intellectual Ventures etc. are just part patent-stacking techniques and elimination of fair competition by passing some patents to trolls (both Nokia and Intellectual Ventures use smaller entities for litigation). Meanwhile, as revealed in [2], the EFF continues to focus on "trolls" rather than software patents when it comes to patent reform. Perhaps they would do something to limit the ability of Nokia, Intellectual Ventures and others who are passing patents to troll as part of the current business model. Maybe Nokia, Intellectual Ventures, and others will just die quickly enough to reduce the damage they can inflict upon producing entities.

This is a serious issue. It deserves more attention. ⬆

Related/contextual items from the news:

1. Google, Samsung Said to Express Microsoft-Nokia Concern to China

   Google Inc. (GOOG:US) and Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) joined Chinese mobile phone makers in expressing concern to China that Microsoft Corp. (MSFT:US)’s bid to take over Nokia Oyj (NOK1V)’s phone business may result in higher patent licensing fees, two government officials familiar with the matter said.





2. Two Big Cases Could Protect Software Innovators – and Their Customers – From Patent Lawsuits

   The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) urged the U.S. Supreme Court to crack down on patent trolls and the schemes they use to perpetuate their lawsuits in two amicus briefs filed today.