A FEW months ago Canon joined the Open Invention Network (OIN), but its USPTO-granted patents are still afloat and they are being used offensively, not defensively. To quote Law 360:
Canon filed three dozen suits Wednesday against companies in 15 federal jurisdictions along with a complaint at the U.S. International Trade Commission alleging that the companies are infringing patents that cover its printer toner cartridges.
Japan-based Canon Inc. hit Ink Technologies Printer Supplies LLC, Print After Print Inc., and Billiontree Technology USA Inc. in Ohio, Arizona, and California federal courts and 33 additional companies in various federal district courts with complaints alleging that the companies are infringing up to nine patents that cover its printer toner...
"Is Canon becoming what it fought?""It is also very unJapanese," IAM said, "at least traditionally - and very, very unCanon. It would be interesting to know whether this is all about preventing infringement or generating licensing income."
"Litigation is a common response after strong assets do not sell," said another person. "They've been selling to NPEs [trolls] for a while, without blowback, so..."
These patent trolls are living in a fantasy world. Many of these trolls cease operations and go 'bankrupt' nowadays (they're not real businesses anyway).
"These patent trolls are living in a fantasy world.""If that is the case," IAM continues, "it's a big turnaround as the top IP executives at Canon have always been very sceptical of the benefits of litigation-based monetisation. If Canon is doing it, then we can probably say Japan Inc as a whole is in the process of a big conversion."
A couple of weeks earlier Bluefin bragged about pursuing another Japanese patent. JPO recently made headlines for softening its stance on patents. Does that explain why Canon 'exported' its patents to trolls? Is it that desperate? ⬆