I agree with this assessment. The HR Block patent I mentioned was going to cost someone a lot of money. The UC/Eolas patent was going to cost M$ over a half billion dollars until it was overturned, so really only the lawyers win in this game.
Dave On Tue, November 23, 2004 4:08 pm, Tim Churches said: > Andrew Ho wrote: >> On Tue, 23 Nov 2004, David Forslund wrote: >> >> >>>Thus the patent you describe would make the RAD OMG specification a >>>violation of your patent, since it provides a mechanism to specifically >>>what you say plus a lot more? >> >> >> Dave, >> No, if RAD OMG spec is a superset of any subsequent patent, then the >> patent is invalid. > > Yes, but if the patent is issued regardless (as very often seems to > happen), then its invalidity needs to be proven in the courts - very > expensive. Better to oppose the patent application before it issues, to > prevent it ever becoming a patent - still surprisingly expensive, but > less expensive that a court case. > > Tim C > -- David Forslund Laboratory Fellow Associate MS T006 Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, NM 87545
