http://www.techdirt.com/ Easily digestible tech news.... http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1289 Thu, 23 May 2013 09:00:10 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1289
An amicus brief won't be worth a bucket of warm spit in the absence of a vigorous defense. Clearly, the implication is that the 'tech industry' (Google, Facebook, Twitter) should fund Fat Bastard's litigation. Which is exactly what he is demanding in exchange for not suing them for patent infringement.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1287 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:58:06 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1287
That right there. It shows that those who love copyright so much don't even know what it is and what it is not.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c168 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:54:58 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c168 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c161 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:54:08 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c161 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1264 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:52:33 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1264 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/11301723178/amazon-wants-to-sell-fan-fiction-with-it-originator-fanfic-author-all-sharing-profits.shtml#c492 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:51:17 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130522/11301723178/amazon-wants-to-sell-fan-fiction-with-it-originator-fanfic-author-all-sharing-profits.shtml#c492 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1247 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:51:06 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1247 then you said that his victims should consider paying up and playing along

Except he said no such thing. He said it was a good idea for "the tech industry to think about participating in the case," not that it was a good idea for them to "pay up." Not once did he say that the tech companies should give in to the patent trolling, just that they have an interest in the outcome of the case.

Once again, you're lying. What a shocker.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1228 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:50:18 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1228 at all. It's a fucking stupid move by Dotcom.

However, I can understand why he's gone down that route, even if I think it's a massively idiotic move.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130521/20101423164/att-says-you-can-use-any-video-streaming-app-you-want-just-as-soon-as-it-can-get-meter-running.shtml#c345 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:49:44 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130521/20101423164/att-says-you-can-use-any-video-streaming-app-you-want-just-as-soon-as-it-can-get-meter-running.shtml#c345 http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c129 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:47:54 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c129 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1224 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:46:14 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1224 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1221 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:44:19 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1221 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1218 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:44:07 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1218 you can't just go to the USPTO and say "I want to patent the wheel". You can't because prior art exists.

Actually, yes, you could. The patent examiner would do a cursory search for prior art, but patent examiners are notoriously lousy at this, because a) they're not experts in the field, and/or b) they're swamped, and/or c) they're under pressure to approve as many patents as possible.

Then once someone "infringes" by making a wheel of their own, they get sued by the patent holder. It is now the defendant's burden to show that the patent is invalid, as an affirmative defense.

That actually happened in the Apple v. Samsung case. Apple's "rubber banding" patent was invalidated as prior art - after the jury had awarded a $1-billion judgement against Samsung.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c107 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:42:53 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c107 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1208 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:42:17 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1208 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c369 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:38:53 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130506/10364522962/eric-schmidt-still-fan-figuring-out-way-to-erase-past.shtml#c369 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/00554723091/more-details-emerge-key-legal-fight-over-dmca-abuse.shtml#c490 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:38:39 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130515/00554723091/more-details-emerge-key-legal-fight-over-dmca-abuse.shtml#c490 http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1185 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:38:02 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1185
It's the stuff you DIDN'T say that we're focusing on. You didn't say it was patent trolling that is a bad thing regardless of the racketeering angle. You didn't question the validity of the patent itself. You pointed out that he's saying pay up or I'll sue, and then you said that his victims should consider paying up and playing along because there's a "pretty good reason for the tech industry to think about participating in the case." That's you justifying his means because of the ends. That's not you condemning his means. You didn't condemn the means, hence our responses.

Sorry Mike, but you look pretty bad here. And, of course, it's Kim Dotcom, so you give him a free pass with this stuff. No surprise there. The only surprise would have been if you had actually called him out for the "extortion" and said that was bad in general, and not just bad because it might hurt him in later litigation. Nice try and spinning this, but we can all see what you wrote.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c69 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:34:38 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/blog/wireless/articles/20130523/01030023182/man-butt-dials-911-while-discussing-murder-plot.shtml#c69
He's words apolologist.]]> http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1178 Thu, 23 May 2013 08:32:50 PDT http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130523/00174423181/kim-dotcom-threatens-to-sue-google-facebook-twitter-over-2-factor-authentication-patent-if-they-dont-help-him.shtml#c1178
That is why Dotcom has asked for anyone who is interested in buying the patents to contact him.]]>