Wired on "Secrecy Power Sinks Patent Case"

[Tyler Durden]

Nah...it wasn't half a million. It was a hell of a lot more, I suspect. Even 
a standard SC or APC connector cost $50 in those days, and from what I 
suspect this would be MUCH much more than that, and probably formed just one 
piece of a larger contract.

The odd thing about this case was that the judge ruled in favor of 
Lucent...the government wasn't even directly involved. Lucent made a ton of 
profit which this poor bastard didn't get dime one from. That's a lot 
different then allowing the government to use your IP.

-TD


>From: Steve Schear <s.schear at comcast.net>
>To: cypherpunks at jfet.org
>Subject: Re: Wired on "Secrecy Power Sinks Patent Case"
>Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2005 23:55:48 -0700
>
>At 09:14 AM 9/20/2005, Tyler Durden wrote:
>>Very interesting CPunks reading, for a variety of reasons.
>>
>>http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,68894,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1
>>
>>Of course, the fact that Lucent has been in shit shape financially must 
>>have nothing to do with what is effectively a state-sponsored protection 
>>of intellectual theft and profiting by Lucent (merely keeping the tech 
>>under wraps would have been possible in a closed-doors session. Remember 
>>that connectors can easily cost $50 per or more, so these guys were really 
>>ripped off and Lucent probably made out quite well.)
>
>[Cross posted from another list....]
>
>Ian G <iang at systemics.com> wrote:
>What I don't understand about that case is that the
>precedent already exists.  If a defendent declines
>to defend by supplying documents then the judge does
>not force them to do so in a civil case, instead the
>award goes against them.
>
>What is not clear is why the judge awarded in the
>favour of the government.  By not supplying files,
>they clearly indicated they were using the patent.
>And even that wasn't ever in doubt.  He should have
>just awarded summarily for the patent owners and
>that would have been that.
>
>And, it was only for a measly half million.  By
>saving a half million in patent fees, Lucent and
>the USG have reduced their reputation for fair
>dealing, had the whole case blow up in their faces
>and now we're all poking around looking for how
>the patent was used by the _Jimmy Carter_....