Here’s the thing, though: the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected the patents. NTP is appealing, so they are technically still valid. But if rejected again, NTP wouldn’t have a leg to stand on. NTP alone represents the need to reform patent law. We’re all for giving people their proper due, but that should only extend to the creator of the device. Patents should not be sold, lest we have companies like NTP. They’re not out for innovation and the advancement of technology; they’re out to make a buck off big companies. We’ve had our beef with Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint in the past. That bias, however, does not prevent us from seeing that they’re in the right here. This system of patent hoarding and lawsuit-filing does nothing but impede progress. Not only are they trying to hold back technology, but they’re trying to take money from companies who will invest in new technology. What is NTP doing with the proceeds from the RIM settlement? What do they plan to do with any settlement from this case? Well, since it’s likely that their only overhead is the purchase of patents, they’ll probably put the money in a Swiss bank account and sit on it. Which, by the way, worsens the economy. But hey, personal gain ahead of the greater good, right? Right? Once again, most of the news from today has made us ill. [The Globe and Mail]]]>
