IP Firm Sues Over Core Products from Dell, Acer, Asus

Why do they allow those companies to exist? Patent Trolls need to go away n stop harassing companies that are actually making products and using them.

Someone obviously doesn't like Acer.

how daRe they! patent tRoll Rises again.

Yes, metals dissipate heat and are added to numerous things to do so. Applying a heat sink to a new device should not be a patent.

I agree, patents were originally started to encourage development by guaranteeing the original creator of a device with some measure of legal protection. Now its being abused not by the people who create and invent, but by legal corporations that go around buying up patents so they can make money suing the geniuses that actually create the things we use. And it seems now days even the companies that are making things are still buying or filing patents left or right so they can gain a market monopoly through patent control. How far the once beneficial system has fallen. Now it only serves to stifle creativity leaving many would be inventors scared to enter the market, lest they go broke from lawsuits.

Who the F*** started this sue-ing game? its kinda stupid and dumb....plus lame...

I feel like patent infringement suits have spiked in popularity. It's getting a bit out of hand, and I'm starting to feel bad for the companies "infringing" because I'm sure half the problems were thought up by themselves as an obvious/only solution.

I'm tarting to worry if I'm infringing on any patents by the way I put on my pants...

Hey the economy is crap. Everyone is hurting and needing money. I think I will create a company and look to see if I can't buy a package deal that includes patents going back the last 50 years or so and sue every company that might in some way, shape or form uses them

Man how I hate these companies.

First throw these cases out.

Then put the lawyers that filed it in jail.

Then right next to them, put the person(s) at the patent office that keeps allowing the VERY GENERAL patents to keep being approved.

Like any economic system, over time people learn how to skirt the rules or exploit an existing rule to their advantage. Its an unending war between regulators and exploiters. Sadly at least in here the USA, most our regulators are current or former exploiters.

Old stuff from the 1990's and early 2000's. I never understood why someone would wait so long before taking action. Did it take so long to actually make whatever is described in a patent or is it just plain greed?

So why didn't Micron sue these companies before unloading the portfolio? Something's fishy there.

This looks like a case of a "defensive" patent being turned into a "troll" patent through a sale. And what if Micron's technology uses these patents too (which for some of them it might)? Do they too have to license or get sued? Or was part of the deal that they continue to possess an unlimited number of self-use licenses for an unlimited duration of time?

It's like this company looked at all of the patents noted in a computer's getting started guide, scanned the patent filings from Micron to see whether they had any being "used" and not listed, and then offered to buy those from Micron for the sole purpose of suing Acer, Dell, Asus, Gateway, and maybe even Acer a second time if they're so inclined.

Perhaps patents should be non-transferrable? In other words, "Use it or lose it."

The CEO, a Mr. John Desmarais, is a known IP lawyer in NYC.

Mr. Gerard deBlasi, the VP of licensing, also appears to have held a position as EVP, Licensing at IPValue Management, Inc. So either he's done this before, or the company changed names, or his linked-in is out-of-date, or he's moonlighting.

The VP of S&M, Mr. Burris, doesn't appear as quickly on any rapid searches. Odd for a sales and marketing guy to be that poorly marketed on the internet.

Lovely people. It is so wonderful that Irene didn't manage to flood their office and destroy their records on its way by.

Companies that do not produce products should not be allowed to own patents unless they are research companies who finance their research by selling patents to companies that make products.

They know it is a frivolous lawsuit, so they needed to wait for some precedence, once the first frivolous lawsuit made it through all hell broke loose.

wow...a patent trolling company, who bought patents, is sueing based on said patents. I love this part....

They really should do some research. Asus had a licensing agreement with Micron that permitted them to manufacture their products. Unless Asus was notified that their previous license agreement was null and void (as required by law), the patent trolls don't really have a leg to stand on. They were required by law to contact all effected companies at the time they purchased the patents. Also, the new owners of said patents have no legal rights to any profits from products produced/marketed prior to their purchasing of said patents.

If you look at their site, it turns out that they have licensing and/or do-not-sue agreements with Apple, Micron, and a handful of other HW vendors. I can just imagine the sales pitch...

"Dear [CEO of micron]:
We are a prosperous and enterprising intellectual property company specializing in maximizing the profitability of 3rd party IP portfolios. If you will allow us to purchase your patent IP, specifically (...), we will grant you a ... license to continue to use your patents. We will also pass on to you x% of any lawsuit and royalty revenue we make with said patent.

By the way, you are currently infringing upon our patents (a, b, and c), so if you do not accept this proposal we will simply get our money in court. Either way, we win. You lose."

And IIRC, that was about the wording that the communist used before the president told him, "Get off of my plane."

And all this patent cases does not create a patent reform WHY???

Now, that's MY PATENT. Remove your pants.

I can't prevent these companies from hoarding IPs, but for God's sake please choose a better name.

Round Rock simply sounds ridiculous.

Apple should sue them on violating their patent on the patent trolling process.

I want to now file a patent on a method for breathing. Your diaphragm muscle expands thus creating an area of low pressure inside your lungs. The pressure differential between your lungs and the atmosphere allows air to enter your lungs. You exhale by contracting your diaphragm muscle and create an area of high pressure in your lungs, allowing air to leave to the atmosphere.

I demand licensing fees from everyone who takes a breath.

This whole IP business thing is stupid. It's been taken way too far

I hope that each of these companies have their own patents, or are licenced for other patents, that they can point to and say, "No, we didn't infringe your patents. We built on these ones. Go away (you annoying troll)."

i request for a 'report' button for news article forum threads. there is a 'report' button in the news article page. imo another in the forum thread would help in faster reporting a spambot such as the one above.