Intellectual ventures starts pac to lobby for patent. This american life followup on patents reveals intellectual. Today national public radio ran a story on software patents titled when patents attack. Fred wilson, principal of union square ventures, who has backed a number of companies, including twitter, said as long ago as 2009 that patent trolls are a tax on innovation, after one of his.
In february 2011, xilinx filed a declaratory judgment lawsuit against intellectual ventures and its subsidiary corporations asking the northern district of california court to rule that it could not be liable for infringing a set of fifteen 15. It doesnt delay your flight like united, buffer your movie stream like comcast, or shellac your shrimp with oil like bp. In that story, this american life reporterproducer alex blumberg and npr new reporter laura sydell tried to follow the story of that patent to exonerate intellectual ventures and show that. Dont mind our 2000 shell companies, thats totally normal there is now a very good analytical paper examining the problem with patents and the difference between patents. My guest tonight has written a sixvolume book on cuttingedge food made. Jul 17, 2014 tweet share post its been a good year for patent trolls, and now the biggest troll of them all wants to keep the party going. Intellectual ventures is an american private company that centers on the development and licensing of intellectual property. In a prior blog posting, i reported how reports of a socalled patent litigation explosion today are just wrong.
Megatroll intellectual ventures hits florist with doitonacomputer scheduling patent share it share on twitter share on facebook copy link the washington statebased behemoth is at the center of both patent trolling and the debate around patent reform. Appeals court throws out six intellectual ventures do it on a computer patents massive patent holder has been suing for years now, but it cant win a case. Intellectual ventures has recently filed some patent litigation of its own, but doing so comes with inherent risks, such as the company being forced to disclose its major investors. Jul 23, 2011 intellectual ventures accused of mafiastyle shakedown in this american life expose by john cook on july 23, 2011 at 4. Inside intellectual ventures, the most hated company in. This american life npr on patent trolls patent progress. Intellectual ventures iv has responded to an npr report from last week that presented nathan myhrvolds venture as not much more than a powerful pat. Intellectual ventures responds to this american life expose. Today, intellectual ventures is the worlds largest patent troll and it habitually uses other smaller firms reportedly over 1,000 of them do handle litigation and assist blackmail in a pyramid schemelike fashion. At intellectual ventures we believe ideas are valuable, and so are the people who generate them. In patent trolls, william watkins provides a thorough, yet surprisingly concise and readable, description of one of the most serious problems facing technological innovators. Famous for hiding behind thousands of shell companies, it.
After microsoft, in 2000 myhrvold cofounded intellectual ventures, a patent portfolio developer and broker in the areas of technology and energy, which has acquired over 30,000 patents. It doesnt delay your flight like united, buffer your movie stream like comcast, or. Our people impact invention through pioneering research and partnerships, from tackling humanitarian challenges in the developing world, to giving entrepreneurs the tools to accelerate innovation, to spinning out new companies that create transformative technologies. Intellectual ventures responds to this american life. Tweet share post its been a good year for patent trolls, and now the biggest troll of them all wants to keep the party going. I worked at intellectual ventures fulltime for more than a year pros nathan myhrvold is a fantastic innovator, philanthropist, and creative, working at iv is an opportunity to observe a truly unique leader with unusual interests, motivators and drive. When it comes to patent trolls, no one is bigger than intellectual ventures. As per a press release in regards the mou, intellectual ventures will both license iitb inventions accepted under this program and work on a number of possible commercialization. Founded in 2000, iv has earned a special brand of hatred in the business world as the ultimate patent troll. The company sells and licenses intellectual property in the areas of agriculture, automotive, communications, computer hardware, construction, consumer.
Bellevue, washington, united states industries finance headquarters regions greater seattle area, west coast, western us founded date 2000 founders edward jung, greg gorder, nathan myhrvold, peter detkin operating status active number of employees 501. The episode couldnt be more timely, with patent troll legislation. Jul 22, 2011 npr reporter laura sydell and this american life producerplanet money cohost alex blumberg tell the story of intellectual ventures, which is accused of being the largest of the patent trolls. The washington statebased behemoth is at the center of both patent trolling and the debate around patent reform. Intellectual ventures is engaged in the business of invention. Thoroughly researched and documented, this book should be read by all who are concerned about the decline in americas competitiveness in the world market.
All tech considered radio and print ads launched this week warn of damage wrought by socalled patent trolls. Npr showed youre a patent troll, get over it by matt levy june 3, 20 this post is the latest in the dear intellectual ventures series. Basically, bill gates continues to subsidise the worlds largest patent trolls, who actively attack gnulinux. Intellectual ventures finally responded with the only serious tool in its arsenal on monday, suing 12 companies including hp, dell, walmart and best buy for patent infringement. Intellectual ventures goes to court the new york times. After amassing one of the largest patent portfolios in the world, intellectual ventures unleashed three separate patent infringement litigations in. Who does patenttrading firm intellectual ventures work for. Though it claims to promote innovation, intellectual ventures is behind some of the most outrageous troll campaigns in recent years. Intellectual ventures, a firm that has spawned thousands of shell companies to pursue patent lawsuits, is starting a political action committee that could influence this years midterm elections. Predatory litigation and the smothering of innovation, william j. Although the nif for its part has won itself laurels around the country, intellectual ventures has been condemned by some for following the very same business model. The investigation takes them to a small town in texas, where they find a hallway full of empty companies with no employees. Is intellectual ventures good for innovation or bad for. Intellectual ventures has between 30,000 and 60,000 patents.
But even the low number makes intellectual ventures iv the 5th largest patent portfolio of any u. After describing recent trends and efforts to tame the trolls, watkins focuses on ground zero in patent litigationthe. Intellectual ventures comes to india and no its not a big. These blogs write about how intellectual ventures has amassed one of the largest patent portfolios in existence. Why wont intellectual ventures answer questions about its. Its business model has a focus on buying patents and aggregating them into a large patent portfolio and licensing these patents to third. Intellectual ventures shows patenttrolllike ambitions. Publicly, it states that a major goal is to assist small inventors against corporations. Intellectual ventures now owns over 80,000 patents and pending patent applications. Family app developer says its the victim of a patent troll research indicates otherwise february 9, 2015 bruce berman when it comes to invention rights patents it is often difficult to determine who is a victim and who is merely promoting its agenda. Another blog, ipwatchdog, called intellectual ventures patent troll public. Npr has a follow up to when patents attack many people have asked us to post the this american life story on patent trolls entitled when patents attack from npr on july 22, 2011. For worlds biggest troll, first patent case ends up in.
Appeals court throws out six intellectual ventures do it on. Intellectual ventures starts pac to lobby for patent trolls. Techdirt and other technology blogs have written about how intellectual ventures uses its large patent. Sep 04, 2014 founded in 2000, iv has earned a special brand of hatred in the business world as the ultimate patent troll. And this brings us back to patent 57754, chris crawfords patent, the patent intellectual ventures pointed us to as an example of how they encourage innovation. Who does patenttrading firm intellectual ventures work. Colbert report intellectual ventures, the patent holding company founded by exmicrosoft cto nathan myhrvold, is widely accused of being a patent troll a company that exists mainly to extract. Intellectual ventures is one of the topfive owners of u. Intellectual ventures and its 80,000 patents patentlyo. The influential blog techdirt regularly refers to intellectual ventures as a patent troll. Mar 09, 2017 appeals court throws out six intellectual ventures do it on a computer patents massive patent holder has been suing for years now, but it cant win a case. The constitution reads, in part, to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries. All tech considered radio and print ads launched this week warn of damage wrought by.
Intellectual ventures, the big investment firm that has bought up 30,000 patents, has long held out the threat of patent litigation against companies that do not agree to licensing agreements. According to the hill, the giant patent troll submitted a filing to the federal elections commission to open a pac, which will have the power to. Suffice to say, intellectual ventures is, in the minds of many, the worlds biggest patent troll, waiting to demand a fee for what you were sure was an. Its business model has a focus on buying patents and aggregating them into a large patent portfolio and licensing these patents to third parties. Xilinx is a billion dollar company that manufactures programmable memory chips. Appeals court throws out six intellectual ventures do it. Intellectual ventures iv, an invention capital company headquartered in washington, has reportedly entered into an mou with iitb to assist the latter in commercializing its inventions in the market place. Taking the battle against patent trolls to the public. Intellectual ventures accused of mafiastyle shakedown in this american life expose by john cook on july 23, 2011 at 4. Jul 24, 2011 intellectual ventures has recently filed some patent litigation of its own, but doing so comes with inherent risks, such as the company being forced to disclose its major investors. Intellectual ventures, is seen as a patent troll in some. Npr reporter laura sydell and this american life producerplanet money cohost alex blumberg tell the story of intellectual ventures, which is accused of being the largest of the patent trolls. Dec 08, 2010 intellectual ventures, the big investment firm that has bought up 30,000 patents, has long held out the threat of patent litigation against companies that do not agree to licensing agreements.
A piece of software was more like a book or an article. Intellectual ventures told us if we wanted to understand what the company was all about, we should talk to this inventor it had helped out, a patent. Today, intellectual ventures is the worlds largest patent troll and it habitually uses other smaller firms reportedly over 1,000 of them do handle litigation and assist blackmail in. Founded in 2000, intellectual ventures has earned a special brand of hatred in the business world as the ultimate patent troll.
This weekend, this american life aired the follow up to when patents attack. Back in 2011, i put the question of whether or not intellectual ventures is a patent troll to its cofounder nathan. As i detailed in another blog posting, the percentage of patent lawsuits today are not only consistent with historical patent litigation rates in the nineteenth century, there is actually less litigation today than during some decades in. Intellectual ventures acquires hundreds of patents for new. From wbez chicago, its this american life distributed by public radio international. It owns patent portfolios as well as supplies inventions to innovative companies through various licensing and partnering programs.
Apr 15, 2017 a patent troll is a derogatory term used to describe the use of patent infringement claims to win court judgments for profit or to stifle competition. Intellectual ventures exploits the market for inventions and patents, buying patents from companies and inventors under the assumption the patents will be more. For example the bs published latha jishnus views on the mou between intellectual ventures and iitb under the title hope is a patent troll for iitbombay. Jul 25, 2011 intellectual ventures of bellevue has been dogged by critics who say founder nathan myhrvold is running an organization that is a patent troll that topic is explored by planet money and npr in a. As weve said, this patent also seems to cover a big chunk of whats happening on the internet upgrading software, buying stuff online, whats called cloud storage, storing data on.
Patent troll intellectual ventures is more like a hydra. Featured prominently in this piece was intellectual ventures, a company that has amassed a significant patent portfolio. Feb 21, 2014 intellectual ventures, a firm that has spawned thousands of shell companies to pursue patent lawsuits, is starting a political action committee that could influence this years midterm elections. Its business model has a focus on buying patents and aggregating them into a lar. Apr 21, 2014 for worlds biggest troll, first patent case ends up in tatters intellectual ventures rolls out the inventorsa lawyer and a lawyers wife. Intellectual ventures basically defines this invention gap as the number of patents that a company is infringing when it makes or sells its products. Jun 03, 20 in that story, this american life reporterproducer alex blumberg and npr new reporter laura sydell tried to follow the story of that patent to exonerate intellectual ventures and show that. Intellectual ventures accused of mafiastyle shakedown in. For decades, the patent office considered software to be like language.
The bellevue, washingtonbased intellectual ventures was founded in 2000. Intellectual ventures is a private company notable for being one of the topfive owners of u. The article raises some very thoughtprovoking questions about software patents and whether or not these patents are realizing the original goals of the patent system in promoting innovation. Intellectual ventures of bellevue has been dogged by critics who say founder nathan myhrvold is running an organization that is a patent troll that topic is. Inside intellectual ventures, the most hated company in tech. A patent troll is a derogatory term used to describe the use of patent infringement claims to win court judgments for profit or to stifle competition. The current patent system can severely hamper the growth of software startups here in the u.
In a split decision, a threemember panel of the court discussed the current legal status of such patents. Court hits alleged patent troll with large fine npr. Intellectual ventures and the war over software patents. Npr reporter laura sydell and this american life producerplanet money co host alex blumberg tell the story of intellectual ventures, which is. Sep 16, 2018 founded in 2000, intellectual ventures has earned a special brand of hatred in the business world as the ultimate patent troll. Intellectual ventures accused of mafiastyle shakedown. Aug 30, 20 taking the battle against patent trolls to the public. For worlds biggest troll, first patent case ends up in tatters intellectual ventures rolls out the inventorsa lawyer and a lawyers wife. At the center of the patent troll controversy is the founder and ceo of the company nathan myhrvold.