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[News] Blackboard (Funded by Microsoft) Patent Attack Defines Insanity

  • Subject: [News] Blackboard (Funded by Microsoft) Patent Attack Defines Insanity
  • From: Roy Schestowitz <newsgroups@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2008 01:13:19 +0000
  • Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy
  • Organization: Netscape / schestowitz.com
  • User-agent: KNode/0.10.4
The Blackboard Patent and Blackboard's Big Idea

,----[ Quote ]
| Now that the Blackboard Patent Court Case has begun, let's recap the main 
| issues. Blackboard    sued Desire2Learn for patent infringement. What is the 
| patent claim and what is at stake?   
`----

http://tatler.typepad.com/nose/2008/02/what-did-blackb.html

Watch the picture. It's hilarious. Another new attack:

Patent Suits Target Operators, Broadcasters

,----[ Quote ]
| A suburban Philadelphia firm whose sole business is to buy up technology 
| patents is trying to force large cable operators and major broadcasters to 
| pay substantial license fees on the transmission of digital TV signals and 
| Internet services.   
`----

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6532982.html


Recent:

Taurus/Orion/Spangenberg Hold Off Ford in Madison; Blackboard-Desire2Learn
Trial Begins in Lufkin

,----[ Quote ]
| Interestingly, Desire2Learn is blogging about the trial. Desire2Learn has 
| already invalidated 35 out of the 44 claims of the '138 patent. I love how 
| Desire2Learn refers to the inventors in quotes - "inventors." From 
| Desire2Learn's blog, we learn that the Software Freedom Law Center filed an 
| ex parte reexamination request, and Desire2Learn filed an inter partes 
| reexamination request. Both were granted, and are continuing in parallel to 
| the trial. We also learn that Judge Clark did not rule on any pending summary 
| judgment motions, and decided to hold them for trial.       
`----

http://trolltracker.blogspot.com/2008/02/taurusorionspangenberg-hold-off-ford.html


Blackboard Patent Goes to Trial

,----[ Quote ]
| The Blackboard patent infringement case against Desire2Learn goes to trial on 
| February 11, 2008 in Lufkin, Texas.  The trial is expected to last two weeks. 
| Both sides will have no more than 18 hours to present their case.   
| 
| [...]
| 
| By all accounts Blackboard's patent is a stupid one and never should have 
| been issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). 
`----

http://tatler.typepad.com/nose/2008/02/blackboard-pate.html


Blackboard Problems Leave Vista on Double-Secret Probation 

,----[ Quote ]
| On college campuses, Microsoft's Vista operating system may be in
| danger of failing courses that use Blackboard, a key software
| program for communication between teachers and students.
`----

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,2109454,00.asp


>From Doug:

,----[ Quote ]
| "The leaders of higher education’s main technology association have
| written a powerfully worded letter urging Blackboard to relinquish the
| rights it gained under a controversial patent  of online learning"
| 
| http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/10/27/educause
| 
| 'in the Blackboard patent describes a course based-system with user
| computers where each user is “capable of having predefined
| characteristics indicative of multiple predetermined roles in the
| system.”   .. every other element (or its equivalent) of claim 1 must
| be embodied in the system in question for claim 1 to be infringed'
| 
| http://www.blackboard.com/patent/FAQ2
`----


,----[ Quote ]
| "Blackboard hereby commits not to assert any of the U.S. patents listed
| below .. to the extent that such Open Source Software and Home-Grown
| Systems are not Bundled with proprietary software"
| 
| "Microsoft has given Blackboard $10-million in venture capital and has
| stationed Microsoft employees within Blackboard to help with product
| development
`----

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070202101359621

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