Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has filed a patens claim which pretty much pits him against all the giants of Silicon Valley. He’s claiming that he owns the technology behind basic web functions like suggested reading and pop up stock quotes, and the claims are being made against Google, Facebook, eBay, Apple, Yahoo!, AOL, YouTube and others.
Curiously though, Amazon has not been named in the line up, with the only explanation mooted for this being that Amazon is based in the Microsoft co-founder’s home town, Seattle, and which is also where he filed the patents.
The claim is about four different patents, all of which deal with basic web features and functions for the businesses involved. Allen didnt develop the software himself, but owns all the patents. Google was on the offensive though, and said: “This lawsuit against some of America’s most innovative companies reflects an unfortunate trend of people trying to compete in the courtroom instead of the marketplace,” and a Facebook spokesperson said Zuckerberg’s empire would fight the patents “vigorously”.
But why is Allen bringing this up now, years later? It’s not like he’s stuck for cash – he’s worth an estimated $13 billion, and has coughed up half of that for the Bill Gates/Warren Buffet philanthropy pledge project.
A spokesperson for Allen said that the claim had nothing to do with wealth or Allen’s health, and while patent trolling is getting more and more prevalent, Allen typically hasn’t shown himself to be particularly aggressive.
Is this a step too far in the patent wars? Should patent trolling be controlled or regulated?
[via WSJ]
