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Why is patent troll hard to define?
Why should it be hard to define a patent troll?

A patent troll is anyone who quietly sits on a patent/idea waiting for some else to actually invent a gadget that performs some fantasy function they dreamed up and patented. When some one else has actually turned their "idea" into a functioning device they disclose their heretofore secret patent and demand to paid for their ?idea?.

The solution should be apparent, you can patent an idea only so long as you can prove you have at least a proof of concept device. Further a patent should expire after a fix number of years, say seven, if the patent holder has failed to take his device to market.

Patents were/are intended to protect inventors who are trying to bring new products to market they are not intended to be a secret lottery system that allows lawyers to file claim ownership of vaguely defined ?ideas?. And then wait to demand huge sums of money when someone else brings to market something which they can claim infringes on their patent.

Bjorn A Freeman
Posted by: bjornafreeman@...   Posted on: 11/06/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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Here we go again.... (NT)  Badgered | 11/06/06
Maybe Palm should just stall as much as possible untill the pantens are  DonnieBoy | 11/06/06
The problem with that strategy ...  mwagner@... | 11/09/06
Patent Pirates Call Their Victims Trolls  rjriley | 11/06/06
Patent Pirates Call Their Victims Trolls  rjriley | 11/06/06
let's make an example...  benitodarder | 11/07/06
That's going to be a hard sell among this crowd  James T. Kirk | 11/07/06
Come on, that's one of the oldest "scams" in the book  John Zern | 11/07/06
Why is patent troll hard to define?  bjornafreeman@... | 11/06/06
Some very good ideas for patent reform, some good first steps.  DonnieBoy | 11/06/06
But you must reward the risks too  John Zern | 11/07/06
Seems kinda vague to me  DarthRidiculous | 11/06/06
My definitions of "patent troll"  CobraA1 | 11/06/06
NTP are leeches......  linux for me | 11/07/06
All patent laws must die [nt]  Omch'Ar | 11/07/06
The problem with the system ...  mwagner@... | 11/09/06

What do you think?

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