Legal Issues

Legal Issues

by Mike Masnick


Filed Under:
erich spangenberg, patents, shell companies

Companies:
daimlerchrysler, plutus ip



Patent Hoarder Caught Shuffling Patents Around Has To Pay $4 Million

from the hoarding-doesn't-always-pay dept

You may recall earlier this month that we wrote about Erich Spangenberg, who had set up a series of shell corporations for patent hoarding (and suing). Unfortunately, it appears he got greedy after a big win against DaimlerChrysler. As part of that settlement, he agreed not to sue the automaker again over the same issues -- but by using the various shell corporations, he had a different shell sue Daimler. Daimler saw this as a violation of the settlement and sued back. Now comes the news that Spangenberg has lost and has to pay nearly $4 million in legal fees to Daimler. It's good to see courts finally pushing back on some of the overreaching by patent holders.

8 Comments | Leave a Comment..

 
 

Reader Comments

(Flattened / Threaded)

    Jun 23rd, 2008 @ 5:06am
  • Will this discourage the practise ?

    by Serves em right

    2.3 - 4 = -1.7

    Ha Ha

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Jun 23rd, 2008 @ 5:30am
  • by Anonymous Coward

    Yessssss!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Jun 23rd, 2008 @ 6:15am
  • by ehrichweiss

    Somehow I bet that we're still going to hear from angry chick, err, dude about how the American people are ruining the great patent system that almost awarded him his almost patent(s).

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Jun 23rd, 2008 @ 6:31am
  • Wrong issue

    by Willton

    This is not about overreaching patent holders; this is about a litigant breaching the terms of his settlement. He deserves to get punished as such.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    • Jun 24th, 2008 @ 5:31am
    • Re: Wrong issue

      by Anonymous Coward

      Willton -> This is not about overreaching patent holders; this is about a litigant breaching the terms of his settlement. He deserves to get punished as such.

      Yes, but this is above and beyond, over the top, and hey - wait a minute - it was committed by an over reaching patent hoarder.

      Its not just a violation of the terms, it is continuing to do what they were suppose to stop doing. Contempt ?

      (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

    Jun 23rd, 2008 @ 6:59am
  • The Patent

    Is the patent still intact though ? He can simply sue Ford or Chevy to get the $$
    Yep It's still a broken system then.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Jun 23rd, 2008 @ 7:06am
  • by bored

    About damn time.

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

  • Jun 23rd, 2008 @ 11:13am
  • by Anonymous Coward

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

    HA!!!!!!!!!


    oh, Did I say "HA HA HA HA H AH AHA HA AHA HAH AHHA"!!!!!!!!!!

    (reply to this comment) (link to this comment)

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