Category Archives: IP
Who Really Won Apple v. Samsung?
Winner: Samsung, who showed that cheating (copying) worked, according to trenchant analysis by the inimitable Robert Scoble. The $1B damages, even if trebled, and the injunction on eight older phones, even if granted, and the jinks and jives from endless appeals, even if they end in Apple’s favor, means that by copying Samsung has become […]
Venture 101: Use Restrictions in NDAs
I often see a willy-nilly attitude in lean ventures towards NDAs, especially when asking investors to sign. Venture firms usually decline to sign. Founders do not seem to understand the reluctance. This may because the founders are too conscious of the non-disclosure restriction, and not conscious enough of the non-use restrictions. The non-use restriction is the […]
The East Texas Patent Troll Honey-Spot is Going Away
The patent trolls have lurked in the Eastern District of Texas, reaping rewards as it became very pro plaintiff. Legitimate patent holders used it too, and for the past decade it became the sweet spot for patent claims litigation. It was not known for granting quick injunctions, but pushing forward into litigation of damages, where […]
Crappy Patents Spoil Nest
Honeywell sued Nest for patent infringement. Nest is the innovator, started by Tony Fadell of Apple, a friend of mine and the genius behind the iPod design. Tony will do more to create the Smart Home than Honeywell has done, or ever will do; and yet the entrenched incumbent is trying to drive true innovation […]
