06.24.17
Gemini version available ♊︎Microsoft and Bill Gates Become More Actively Involved in Their Biggest Patent Troll (and World’s Biggest Troll), Intellectual Ventures
Never forget the insidious strategy of Microsoft and SCO
See Lawrence R. Goldfarb (Wikipedia)
Summary: The world’s largest patent troll, which reportedly operates (litigates) through literally thousands of shells, has received yet more financial aid from Microsoft and Bill Gates
TECHRIGHTS has been covering Intellectual Ventures (IV) for a decade. The coverage wasn’t in vain because nowadays this troll routinely targets companies that distribute GNU/Linux, just as we speculated and warned a long time ago. What does Microsoft have to do with it? It’s Microsoft and Bill Gates that this troll came from and it’s Microsoft and Bill Gates who are served by it. We gave a lot of examples over the years. As we pointed out in a dozen articles earlier this year [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12], Microsoft now relies on trolls that target rival platforms, e.g. AWS customers. Microsoft’s trolls may not be doing too well (IV, for example, fails financially), so a couple of years after Microsoft’s latest cash infusion to it comes another cash infusion from Bill Gates.
“It’s Microsoft and Bill Gates that this troll came from and it’s Microsoft and Bill Gates who are served by it.”Found via Bastian Best is this new ‘report’ from the Gates Foundation-funded Seattle Times, telling us that the so-called ‘philanthropist’ is giving money to the world’s most notorious patent troll, an occasional Gates Foundation business partner. See “Intellectual Ventures spinoff Pivotal raises $17M from Bill Gates, others” and recall the past role of Gates (at personal and professional capacity) in this one particular patent troll.
Basically, Bill Gates continues to subsidise the world’s largest patent trolls, who actively attack GNU/Linux. Microsoft too paid this troll a couple of years back. The flow of cash in that direction is quite telling. Now watch this very recent report from IAM, a friend of IV and of Microsoft. It turns out that this patent proxy and massive patent troll won’t have much left to it but Bill Gates’ close friend Nathan Myhrvold, a bully since his days at Microsoft (we published some internal E-mails from him to highlight his ruthlessness, temper, and sheer arrogance). He, like his friend and neighbour Bill, believes he’s a master of the universe. God complex…
“Basically, Bill Gates continues to subsidise the world’s largest patent trolls, who actively attack GNU/Linux.”To quote IAM: “A new structure will now see a team of executives reporting into co-founder and CEO Nathan Myhrvold with Brown’s former administrative duties spread among them. The new leadership team will comprise CFO Larry Froeber, chief people officer Nicole Grogan, new GC Janet Smith (previously chief counsel for corporate affairs), Cory Van Arsdale who moves from being senior VP for global licensing to chief revenue officer and Mathan Ganesan who is taking over as head of the Invention Investment Fund (IIF). Ganesan will move from the firm’s Dublin office to its Bellevue HQ. They will be joined in the senior leadership team by Maurizio Vecchione, head of the Global Good and Research team, and Casey Tegreene who leads the Invention Science Fund.”
A longtime Microsoft propagandist, Todd Bishop, did this puff pieces for Microsoft’s biggest troll only a short while ago. It’s not an article but more of a placement. To quote a portion: “Adriane Brown is president and chief operating officer of Intellectual Ventures, the Bellevue, Wash.-based intellectual property and tech company best known for its giant patent portfolio and big ideas from its co-founder, former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold.”
“It turns out that this patent proxy and massive patent troll won’t have much left to it but Bill Gates’ close friend Nathan Myhrvold, a bully since his days at Microsoft (we published some internal E-mails from him to highlight his ruthlessness, temper, and sheer arrogance).”Where is the news? Where is the substance? Decades later Bishop continues to act more like a courier of Microsoft agenda.
It must be frustrating to these people that software patents are dying in the US. Intellectual Ventures was famously stopped by PTAB some months ago and IAM is still unhappy about it. To quote this new “International report” from IAM: “Intellectual Ventures owns two patents directed to methods of selecting appropriate bandwidth for wireless communications systems. Ericsson and Google sought to invalidate certain claims in the patents through three inter partes review proceedings before the PTAB.”
Intellectual Ventures has used such patents to go after rivals of Microsoft.
“Microsoft did not change; only the marketing/PR changed.”Regarding the above, a few weeks ago Mozilla entertained the idea — supported by CAFC — that software patents are in violation of free speech rights. It cited that same/prior Intellectual Ventures case: “The debate over the First Amendment and boundaries of patent protection became a hot topic for discussion after Circuit Judge Haldane Mayer issued his 2016 opinion in Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Symantec Corporation.”
We certainly hope that readers of ours will keep an eye on Intellectual Ventures and inform us when new lawsuits are filed. This troll is so deep in Microsoft’s pockets that it’s inevitable Microsoft will continue to use it as a proxy against rivals. Microsoft did not change; only the marketing/PR changed. █
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