GraphOn continues patent troll streak by suing Google
By Erna Mahyuni
Continuing its streak of suing big names under questionable patents, GraphOn is now suing Google. Four patents are involved, all supposedly violated by Google’s Base, AdWords, Blogger, Sites and YouTube.
In a release, GraphOn announced its filing of a complaint in the United States District Court in the Texas alleging “infringement of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,324,538 (the ‘538 patent), 6,850,940 (the ‘940 patent), 7,028,034 (the ‘034 patent) and 7,269,591 (the ‘591 patent) which protect GraphOn’s unique method of maintaining an automated and network-accessible database.”
No word on how much damages GraphOn intends to pursue, but it also seeks permanent injunctive relief. As to how GraphOn intends to justify its actions on rather flimsy premises is anyone’s guess. Now, calling a firm a patent troll right to its face wouldn’t be polite but looking at the amount of case GraphOn has filed pretty recently, it would be calling a spade a spade:
GraphOn sued AutoTrader.com in November 2005
It followed that up by suing Juniper Networks in August 2007
Other firms GraphOn has sicced the lawyers on include Classified Ventures, IAC/InterActiveCorp, Match.com, Yahoo!, eHarmony and CareerBuilder.
As ZDNet’s Larry Dignan sarcastically puts it, “GraphOn may sue you too–assuming you have maintained an automated network accessible database. “
It’s patently (forgive the pun) ridiculous that companies can get away with suing firms for no good reason. When GraphOn claims a patent for simple processes that allow a company to “receive a fee from said owner for making said personal homepage accessible on said network” then it could use that as a flimsy basis of suing any webhost.
As Google’s got more financial clout, it could successfully fight off the lawsuit with its considerable resources. Or they could just ask GraphOn how much bribe, I mean, ‘settlement’ money they want and save both parties a lot of time in the courts.
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August 18th, 2008
Google Reaps What They Sow
Has it occurred to anyone that Google is getting sued because they have a big appetite for other’s patent property and a big ego that gets in the way of acquiring the rights to the patent properties they need to succeed in the market?
Have you considered that Google gets sued after they have refused a legitimate offer for a license?
Or have you considered that Google’s membership in the Coalition for Patent fairness and PIRACY, aka. the Piracy Coalition is a good indication that birds of a feather do flock together?
Google claims to not do evil, but the inventor community is seeing an evil side of Google!
1) They run large quantities of invention promotion ads for companies who are at best useless and at worst are frauds.
2) They force inventors to sue in order to get fair compensation for their patent properties.
Some companies start as inventors, and some start as parasites on those who have invented. Eventually they end up alike, one group never being inventive and the second losing the ability to invent as they age. Both will try to substitute quantity in patent filing for the quality of inventions they are incapable of producing. It does not work.
All Piracy Coalition members fit one of these profiles. Tech companies who are past their prime, insurance and banking collectively have no shame!
What they very good at producing is innovate media hype which obfuscates the reality of their existence. Their multi-million dollar “troll” campaign is a perfect example of this. They paint their victims as “trolls” while the courts are finding their conduct so egregious that they are handing down staggering judgments which are generally being upheld by higher courts. This is what happens to those who are caught lying, cheating, and stealing and no amount of public relations painting their victims as evil “trolls” can change the facts of these cases.
Personally I think that it is a shame that Piracy Coalition members have failed to learn the lesson that inventors and the courts are teaching. It is all about conducting one’s business in an ethical manner!
Ronald J. Riley,
Speaking only on my own behalf.
Affiliations:
President - http://www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - http://www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - http://www.patentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
August 19th, 2008
Mr Ronald J Riley,
You are an idiot. Absolute cretin to be exact. You know shit about programming, computers, Internet or whatever there you think you do.
With best wishes,
Yours,
Panio Donev