Bonum Certa Men Certa

IBM Helps a Microsoft-Connected Patent Troll Create Another Trolling Branch, Known as Finjan Blue

Ginni Rometty
Photo source (modified slightly): The 10 Most Powerful Women in Technology Today



Summary: The parasite known as Finjan spends money buying some more patents in order to expand the breadth of its patent shakedown campaign -- a ruinous campaign which drains hundreds of millions of dollars out of the economy

IBM is doing a great disservice to Free software and to GNU/Linux. In fact, it's doing a disservice to all software developers (everywhere in the world). As we have been showing many times this year, with its patent policies and (software) patent lobbying -- not to mention patent lawsuits -- IBM made it clear that it's a pariah company hellbent/determined to extract money from rivals at any cost (even immeasurable cost to its image).



"So, while Microsoft tells us that it "loves Linux" expect this troll which it once funded to sue everyone who has some security products (or extract settlement money without ever announcing it)."Earlier this month we wrote at least three articles about Finjan Holdings' connections to Microsoft and accelerating campaign of patent lawsuits against Microsoft's rivals. Well, days ago it announced "Finjan Blue, Inc., a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Finjan Holdings" (Delaware is where many patent lawsuits get filed).

What's it all about? Well, IBM has just been feeding a notorious patent troll that is connected to Microsoft, in order to help the troll go preying on a lot of companies, using patents that aren't even legitimate (if properly assessed). Finjan isn't just suing; it's also blackmailing and extorting an unknown number of companies out there. We have been writing about this for over half a decade. Here is how IAM put it earlier today:

It may be a depressed market for patent assets generally, but Finjan’s recent deal with IBM seemingly bucks that trend. Big Blue has agreed to hand over 25 grants and 16 applications to the cyber security business and in return will receive $2 million upfront and a further $6.5 million over a five-year period – that’s an overall price per patent of more than $200,000, which is a decent return by any standard.

In terms of size, though, the transaction pales in comparison with the 4,000 former Kodak patents that Dominion Harbor picked up from Intellectual Ventures or the stockpile of 6,000 Nokia assets (and before that Alcatel Lucent) that is currently being hawked in the market.


So, while Microsoft tells us that it "loves Linux" expect this troll which it once funded to sue everyone who has some security products (or extract settlement money without ever announcing it). A lot of security products are based on BSD or GNU/Linux.

Why does IBM help this? Is IBM really that desperate? This is more of the pattern we have been seeing from IBM. It's like there is no moral compass left at that company.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Slopwatch: LinuxSecurity, linuxconfig.org, and Plagiarised Phoronix
Many articles out there are nowadays fake
European Patent Office Illegally Gutting and Outsourcing Its Functions, Acting Like an Above-the-Law Commercial Business (It Won't Stop at Formalities Officers (FOs) and Classification Slop at the EPO)
breaking/violating laws and conventions
Links 19/09/2025: Lobbyist of American GAFAM Becomes Data Protection Commissioner in Europe
Links for the day
The Right to Punch People (Apparently)
At Brett Wilson, Brett's job title is "Head of Crime" and Wilson normalises calls for violence
 
Techrights the Name Turns 15
About 6 weeks from now we turn 19
Microsoft is Running Out of Time and Floating Fake Figures, Fake Projects, Fake Narratives, Fake Excuses
Also, a lot of Microsoft's "revenue" claims are circular financing (i.e. Microsoft buying from itself, which means Ponzi-like fraud)
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, September 19, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, September 19, 2025
Gemini Links 20/09/2025: Navigating the Pressures of Modern Life and SpellBinding Accidentally Wrote Another Gemini Server
Links for the day
Links 19/09/2025: Press Freedom Dying in US, Anti-Austerity Strikes in France, and Alan Rusbridger to Leave 'Prospect'
Links for the day
Offloading to the Sister Site
In the interest of not overwhelming readers
Links 19/09/2025: Coffee Club and "SpellBinding is Now Absurdly Fast"
Links for the day
Links 19/09/2025: Media Freedom Ceases to Exist in US, "Consider Dropping Twitter/X"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 19/09/2025: Thinking and Insect Bites
Links for the day
Microsoft E.E.E.: Git Will Now (or Very Soon) Fully Depend on Rust, Which is Controlled by Microsoft
Microsoft now makes Git dependent on Rust, or making Git dependent on GitHub, which is proprietary
Slop or Fake Articles Have Turned Linux Journal From a Pioneering/Trailblazing "Linux" Magazine Into a Nuisance
some sites with former reputation - good reputation - turn into cesspools
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, September 18, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, September 18, 2025
Brett Wilson LLP Seem to Have Had Only One Litigation Client in 2025, He Was Previously Charged, Just Like the Serial Strangler From Microsoft (Whom They Now Represent)
Karma is superstition, regulators are not
Project 2030 to Cover How "Project 2025"-Styled Anti-Media Zealots From America Targeted Techrights and Tux Machines
The common denominator is also their attacks on women
Brett Wilson LLP Failed to Meet Deadlines Set by Judge 7 Months Earlier, Tried to Ruin Our Holiday, Then Had the Audacity to Ask Us for Over 3,000 Pounds for Its Own Lateness
As a matter of principle we will never respond to assassin while we are on holiday
On Claims That After Bluewashing Red Hat Will Increasingly Become an Indian Company
Discussed this week (long and detailed)
Americans Attacking British Sites Only Months After They Leave America
We find it kind of funny if not ironic that this site, originally an American site, got legal harassment only from Americans and only months after it had moved to the UK
Despite Losing Over a Quarter Million Dollars a Year Software in the Public Interest (SPI) Gives Helping Hand to Libreboot
SPI's financial state depends a lot on its public image or its reputation
Slopwatch: Google Helps Plagiarism and Sends Traffic to Ripoff Artists
That Google as a company helps spamfarms is noteworthy
If You Want to Know the Future, Listen to the Free Software Foundation (FSF) and Andy Farnell
We're sure the FSF will have plenty of its own output
Links 18/09/2025: A Taliban Ban on Internet Access and Troubled US Job Market
Links for the day
Gemini Links 18/09/2025: Computer Literacy and Accessing Alhena's Database
Links for the day
Links 18/09/2025: US War on Media (Truth Banned, Cancel Culture by the Hard Right), NYT Chief Executive Warns Cheeto is Deploying ‘Anti-press Playbook'
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, September 17, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, September 17, 2025