EFF To Educate Developers : Patent Trolls and You : Virtual Boot Camp for App Developers

Patent Trolls and You: EFF Virtual Boot Camp for App Developers http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

We have seen heard and witnessed how patent trolls like LodSys are going against App developers, iOS, Android and BlackBerry OS.

But even being so interested in the subject, we do not know what to do if we are to recieve a letter from LodSys or another patent troll. So we were triple happy to hear about the EFF Boot Camp geared to educate App developers. Meanwhile big boys like Best Buy, CVS, and the New York Times Company are fighting Lodsys in court and trying to invalidate LodSys patents which could take years to complete and it could still be in either direction.

All those questions that have been burning inside our brains;

""Are you an app developer? Have you been targeted by Lodsys? Do you wonder what Apple’s Motion to Intervene means? How about Google’s Notice of Reexamination? Will the situation change because Lodsys sued large app developers like EA and Rovio, too? What are the elements of a patent license?"

Unfortunately, EFF cannot represent all of the app developers affected by Lodsys. But we can help answer some of your questions! So please join on us September 9 at 12:00 pm PST to talk with a distinguished panel of law professors and patent attorneys who will walk us through the basics of patent litigation. We’ll be streaming the panel live and taking your questions via twitter and email. If you’d like to join us, please email bootcamp@eff.org and include your name, email address, professional affiliation, and let us know if you’ve already heard from Lodsys. In the meantime, continue to watch this space for more details. We look forward to hearing from you on September 9!"

Follow this link to learn about EFF's Bootcamp on LodSysed App Developers.

Google Asks USPTO To Reexamine Lodsys Patents

Google Asks To Reexamine Lodsys Patents http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Some how I missed this report by Wired about Google reacting to Lodsys' litigation against App developers. Google have requested USPTO for reexamination of two of Lodsys's four patents: the '078 patent and the '565 patent, both of which were used in litigation against app developers.

But again, FOSS Patents tells us that this request by itself might not be enough unless Google supplements it with more useful and forceful measures. With our limited law knowledge we do not know what those measures are (you can follow and read those articles to understand better) but we applaud the Google's move. Those app developers do not have the means to continue in such quests.

Apple is also actively engaged in these litigious cases by Lodsys to support developers.

Hopefully this will get a stay on the lawsuits (FOSS patents think this is hard because Eastern Texas courts where Lodsys filled the cases has a habit of only staying 20% of the law suits) but I guess 20% is better than none. EFF has also sounded on the issue;

“Reexaminations are often times a tool used to stay ongoing litigation, It’s much, much cheaper than federal litigation, which on average costs between two and five million dollars.” ” said Julie Samuels, staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit digital rights advocacy group.

Wired via FOSS Patents