Say it ain’t so Paul

As if the world didn’t already have enough patent trolls, Paul Allen has sullied his name and jumped into the fray suing Google, Facebook, Apple and a bunch of other high profile companies alleging infringement of a number of patents held by his company, Interval Research Corp (now defunct). It’s a travesty that Allen has stooped to this level. Patent trolls are in my view the lowest of the low. And while our current – completely messed up – patent system erroneously rewards this behavior, most trolling takes place by firms and individuals you and I have never heard of (and frankly don’t want to know). Why Allen – worth an estimated $14Bn – feels the need to stoop to this level is hard to imagine.

And consider the patents at issue. One involves “technology” that suggests related products to a ecommerce site user. Another shows web news readers stories on related subjects.

Clearly very novel and protectable.

I’m considering trying to patent a “method for extorting money from legitimate companies for using obvious technology that was erroneously granted patent protection” and using it to go after these patent trolls.

Bleh.