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Defeating Patent Trolls With Crowdsourcing

posted by martyb on Tuesday September 20 2016, @03:21AM   
from the review-this dept.

oaklandwatch writes:

Patent trolls have plagued tech companies for years -- but a new web site proposes a novel solution. "Everyone in the world can back the crowdfunding campaign against the patent," explains their site, which includes a "Featured stupid patents" section. After covering the cost of the fees for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and a lawyer, "The rest is distributed to those who find valid prior art...any evidence that a patent is not novel. We review all the prior art pieces and reward those that may invalidate a claim... Then, we file an ex partes reexamination to the USPTO."

The site's founders include the legal officer at Newegg, who has been fighting patent trolls in the courts for years -- and they came up with a great slogan for the site. "We invalidate patents that shouldn't exist."

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Original Submission

• I've got a much better idea. I've got a much better idea. (Score: 2) by khakipuce on Tuesday September 20 2016, @12:53PM

  by khakipuce (233) on Tuesday September 20 2016, @12:53PM (#404209)

  Fix the broken American patent system instead of asking the rest of the world to pay to clear up your mess

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		2

• Re:I've got a much better idea. Re:I've got a much better idea. (Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday September 20 2016, @04:52PM

  by frojack (1554) on Tuesday September 20 2016, @04:52PM (#404321) Journal

  Yes, because this is purely an American problem, right?
  The US is about the only country where the man in the street can actually get a patent overturned by doing research and spending a mere modicum of cash.

  --
  No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.

  Parent

  • Re:I've got a much better idea. (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 20 2016, @06:39PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday September 20 2016, @06:39PM (#404400)

    It is actually.

    The US has been exporting its draconian patent laws around the world for decades. The most recent attempt being in a secretive fashion via "trade" (actually: investor rights) agreements like the TPPA.

    Software patents are no legal in my own country by a hair's breadth and then only because there was a fuss kicked up over it in the press trying to protect our IT industry. The US tried its best though...

    Of course should be sign up to the TPPA (which our current tory govt is hell bent on ) then it will, yet again, be the US who fucks up our way of life.

    Parent

• Re:I've got a much better idea. (Score: 2) by butthurt on Wednesday September 21 2016, @01:44AM

  by butthurt (6141) on Wednesday September 21 2016, @01:44AM (#404617) Journal

  American patents don't directly affect you unless you're selling into the American market, right?

  Parent