Recent: Famed Journalist Dan Gillmor Calls IBM the Inventor of Patent Trolling

Summary: IBM's policy when it comes to patents, not to mention its alignment with patent extremists, gives room for thought if not deep concern; the company rapidly becomes more and more like a troll

THE DAYS of IBM as a friend of developers are long gone. About a decade ago we were supportive of IBM for all sorts of reasons, including OpenDocument Format (ODF). But nowadays IBM is a patent bully which lobbies for software patents, just like Microsoft. Simply because IBM is "not Microsoft" (the same goes for Apple) does not imply that it's benign or even desirable.

"...nowadays IBM is a patent bully which lobbies for software patents, just like Microsoft."Our previous post was about Microsoft's patent bullying. It's something it has in common with IBM and its battles over software patents (albeit on the defensive side) are being brought up this week (quotes from Enfish, LLC v Microsoft, a decision which was used a lot last year as an argument for software patents).

From one lobbyist of software patents (and patent thug) to another jumps Ms McIntyre. According to this report from this week: "In a motion filed today, McIntyre says IBM has no evidence she has or will misappropriate any IBM information and that the company is covered by an ongoing NDA. She also says she informed IBM of the Microsoft job offer in January, which was when she was terminated."

"He's linking to Watchtroll, as usual, and when he speaks of "improving the US patent system" he means facilitating patent blackmail by the likes of IBM."IBM just shows how desperate it has become. How long before IBM has more lawyers than actual engineers?

What has IBM been reduced to? Watch this tweet from IBM's Manny Schecter (the patent chief). It's embarrassing. He's linking to Watchtroll, as usual, and when he speaks of "improving the US patent system" he means facilitating patent blackmail by the likes of IBM. How convenient. He said: "Former Patent Commish Stoll describes tough sledding ahead for new Director Iancu in improving the US #patent system: What should USPTO Director Andrei Iancu do first?"

IBM is already lobbying through Mr. Kappos, a former IBM employee whom we wrote about last night. Iancu should watch out because Watchtroll and Schecter are trying to manipulate him rather than help him. So does Stoll, who was supposed to 'retire' 7 years ago.

"IBM is already lobbying through Mr. Kappos, a former IBM employee whom we wrote about last night. Iancu should watch out because Watchtroll and Schecter are trying to manipulate him rather than help him."Schecter seems to be feeling some heat. He has just said: "Must be doing something right when both extreme pro-patent pundits and extreme anti-patent pundits are concerned about my views..."

"Patent policies of companies (or people who manage these policies) matter depending on the context," I told him. The very fact is, IBM's patent policies come to a large degree from him and his association with "extreme pro-patent pundits" (his words) like Watchtroll does him no favour.

Watch this reply which insinuates Schecter is doing "something wrong."

"To intelligent people," he said, "labeling and demonizing critics is a red flag that the merits of one's ideology are questionable. Stick to the merits."

"We worry that sooner or later there will be nothing left of IBM other than a pile of patents and a long list of pending lawsuits."Earlier this week, IBM's friends at Watchtroll (extremists like Paul Morinville) did their usual shaming of patent reform and more of that China bashing (never mind if IBM sells a lot of its business to Chinese firms such as Lenovo).

We worry that sooner or later there will be nothing left of IBM other than a pile of patents and a long list of pending lawsuits. It's then that IBM formally becomes a patent troll. ⬆