Lodsys Expands Patent Lawsuit to 10 More Companies 75
An anonymous reader writes "A day after Apple filed a motion to intervene in Lodsys's lawsuit against seven app developers (EFF comments), Lodsys has filed its third lawsuit this year. The latest complaint targets ten companies including Adidas, Best Buy, Best Western, Black and Decker. Lodsys sues them over two patents, one of which it also asserts against app developers in court as well as its now famous letters (an example of which has meanwhile been published as a result of Apple's intervention). The ten new assertions relate to web surveys, feedback-soliciting FAQs, and live interactive chat."
Re:So, they are expanding their ... (Score:3, Insightful)
The patent statutes have been changed relatively little since 1952. There have been updates since then to accommodate a few treaties that the US has since ratified, but those updates didn't really affect patent validity and infringement. In fact, the biggest change in that regard was the gradual elimination of submarine patents by changing the patent term from 17 years after issuance to 20 years after effective filing date. In other words, payments to congresspeople would have had little effect on Lodsys's lawsuits.
In terms of judges, everything is appealable, and the Supreme Court is under enough watchful eyes that it probably wouldn't be possible to buy them off with gifts (trips, money, or otherwise).
On the other hand, moving forward, patent reform could be significantly affected by special interest lobbying. There's a patent reform bill that has passed the Senate and is awaiting action in the House, and the general perception of its biggest change (first inventor to file) is that it would favor large corporations over small inventors.
Re:Sharing the joy (read: IP based economy) (Score:0, Insightful)