Why putting all your trust in Google is foolish

Google silences blog critical of Amanda Knox prosecutor.
[Via Dave Winer's linkblog feed]

Google silences blog critical of Amanda Knox prosecutor.

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Just to show that even if you use Google, or any online corporation, you need to maintain backups or control of your material. Google, like any corporation, will make decisions that are not in the best interests of its users.

Why our patent system is hosed

by Artiom Ponkratenko

Patent Troll Says Anyone Using WiFi Infringes; Won’t Sue Individuals ‘At This Stage’
[Via Techdirt]

Just as some in the copyright trolling business are lowering their settlement fees, but making it up in volume, it appears there’s a similar effort under way on the patent trolling side of the world. The Patent Examiner blog has the incredible story of Innovatio IP, a patent troll that recently acquired a portfolio of patents that its lawyers (what, you think there are any employees?) appear to believe cover pretty much any WiFi implementation. They’ve been suing coffee shops, grocery stores, restaurants and hotels first — including Caribou Coffee, Cosi, Panera Bread Co, certain Marriotts, Best Westerns, Comfort Inns and more.

There are various interesting things in the article worth commenting on. First is the smaller settlements/making it up in volume technique. While its initial lawsuits against coffee shops and restaurants did focus on the central corporations, with the hotels, Innovatio appears to be focusing on individual franchisees. Yes, the small businesses who own individual hotels and probably have no idea how to deal with a patent infringement lawsuit — all because they dared to offer WiFi somewhere in their hotels. To make it “easy” of course, Innovatio’s lawyers will let them settle for between $2,300 and $5,000. In almost every case, that’s going to be cheaper than hiring a lawyer to just get started dealing with this — which I’m sure is exactly what Innovatio intends.

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Legalized extortion is what this is like. They simply walk up to ‘customers’ who use WiFi equipment and say “Gee, nice Wifi network you’ve got here. Hate to see it shut down and you go to jail for patent infringement. I can make that all go away for less than $5000.”

And they absolutely do not want to sue anyone who could actually take them to court because the patents are most likely not valid. The only way to prove that is to go to court. So they make it ‘easy’ on people y charging their ‘settlement’ fee.

I expect there are lots of lawyers though that would love to take on a pro bono case like this. And that is why these sorts of patent trolls are hit and run. They spam thousands if not millions of organizations hoping just a small percentage pay the fee. Just a thousand saying yes is a couple of million dollars. Then when they are shut down they move to another set of patents.

A liberal Joe the Plumber?

There are few pundits on either side as articulate as this man. He makes his points well, stays on message and responds to the questions in informative ways with an interesting point of view. And in a way that is generally respectful to the reporter there and to others.

If the protestors were smart, they would make him the media contact for all MSM. He should have a full time gig somewhere.

Board chastises Ballmer again

Microsoft Board criticizes CEO Steve Ballmer for weakened smartphones, Windows
[Via AppleInsider]

After conducting an annual performance review of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the software giant’s Board of Directors took him to task for poor sales of its Windows Phone 7 operating system, dampened Windows revenue and the “need for further progress” with new form factors, awarding him just half of his maximum yearly bonus.

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For the second year in a row, the Microsoft Board only gave Ballmer half of his expected bonus. For the second year in a row, one of their major criticisms had to do with the inability to develop new form factors, as well as problems with their mobile space.

Last year, they killed the Kin phone. This year they killed the Zune. Wonder what they will kill next year.