Economy

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts) Fri Apr 4, 2014, 06:41 AM Apr 2014

Newegg Gets Patent Troll Macrosolve To 'Fold Like A Cheap Suit'

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140402/14293426778/newegg-gets-patent-troll-macrosolve-to-fold-like-cheap-suit.shtml

Newegg Gets Patent Troll Macrosolve To 'Fold Like A Cheap Suit'
from the a-win dept
by Mike Masnick
Wed, Apr 2nd 2014 3:54pm

Among the worst of the worst patent trolls out there, Macrosolve had quite a reputation -- described as "worse than Lodsys" it took a sue tons of companies first, demand settlements later approach, based on an obviously ridiculous patent (7,822,816) for a "system and method for data management" that the company insisted, hilariously, covered any mobile app that used online forms where users could submit data. Yes, forms. For a patent filed in 2003 and granted in 2010. In a bit of a "cute" move, the company tried to pretend it wasn't a troll by doing a deal with... Donald Trump, which apparently suckered some in the press to claim that it wasn't a troll.

But it is a troll, and ended up filing over 75 lawsuits in (of course) the eastern district of Texas, following up the lawsuit filings with demands for licenses. In typical troll behavior, it made the licensing terms much cheaper than actually fighting the lawsuit (even if one were to win), so nearly all of the companies sued sucked it up and settled. However, Macrosolve included electronics retailers Newegg in its bundle of lawsuits, and, as we've noted in the past, Newegg has taken a clear "screw patent trolls" stance, where it absolutely refuses to negotiate with trolls.

Newegg has announced today, somewhat gleefully, that when faced with actually having to go to trial, Macrosolve has "folded like a cheap suit" dismissing its lawsuit against Newegg (and Geico, the one other company who fought back).

~snip~

Congress is, once again, promising to pass new legislation to stop patent trolls, and here's yet another example (in a very long list of them) why help is needed now.