Revenge of the Patent Trolls!

[ags1]

So Mindcraft (sic) has been targeted by some freeloading legal hackers... There should be a law against this stuff. No sorry, I forgot, software patents are there to protect and nurture innovation :-(

[Sickan]

(Am I allowed to call him Markus now that I'm on this forum?)

Anyway, Markus/Notch made a very frustrated tweet earlier today, and then a short time later another tweet apologizing to his US fans.  On a similar note; taken directly from the Minecraft forum thread about this; I would say that distributing things in the US is like making websites for IE6.

[ags1]

It makes me so angry. I have a demanding job, and work to midnight on my own projects (which explains my sometimes dimwitted posts!). The thought of lavishing all that effort on a project only to get mugged by a lawyer drives me mad.

I just think some people, namely patent lawyers, make a choice in life to become the human equivalent of aphids.

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[Roquen]

I'm too lazy to search.  Gotta link to the claim?  Many patents are invalid, so I'm vaguely curious.

[ags1]

These geniuses invented the password system (or something like that).

http://www.gamepolitics.com/2012/07/23/uniloc-sues-minecraft-maker-mojang-patent-infringement

[jonjava]

Was posted on /.
http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/07/22/0219242/patent-troll-claims-minecraft-infringement

[Roquen]

I'd need to see the filing, but it sounds VERY invalid.  I'd counter-sue.

[Cero]

If you own a software patent, you should feel bad.

Notch is right 111%.
FIY there are no Software patents in Germany, for good reason.
In IT related political debates we often get the right stuff: opposing ACTA, opposing data retention, no software patents. I believe its mainly due to our IT people, like the CCC and stuff.

[SwampChicken]

Agreed, allowing patents on software is like allowing patents on mathematics.

[Ultroman]

That claim is downright stupid ^^

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[gimbal]

That claim is downright stupid ^^

Unfortunately claims being stupid is not a guarantee for them being dismissed :/

[Roquen]

Agreed, allowing patents on software is like allowing patents on mathematics.

If you cannot patent anything mathematical, then all patents in all fields are disputable.



Computational or algebraic is a different story.

[Cero]

I know and love that picture.
However I always thought that the gab between biologist and psychologists should be waaaaaaaay bigger
taking math to the brain, which we dont understand... seems a stretch
also I think physicists are closer to math

[appel]

F. patent trolls. I hate them. You're afraid just to be successful because of them, because whatever you do, whatever you create, surely there's someone who claims you're infringing on their frivolous patents.

If there's a french-like revolution ever to take place, they should be hunted down and put on the guillotine.

[Cero]

F. patent trolls. I hate them. You're afraid just to be successful because of them, because whatever you do, whatever you create, surely there's someone who claims you're infringing on their frivolous patents.

I am thinking the same. I also have patented this opinion. You are not allowed to steal and copy it. You are hearing from my lawyers.

[Mads]

One of the worst ways to make your money.

*Huey and Abraham! Call 1-800-BAD-DRUG. We'll sue the shit outta them!*
That crap was all there was on TV in the US.

[Danny02]

you know that (I think) IBM has patented patent trolling, don't find the link atm.
It was something about(the patent) how to use a big patent pool to sue your competition.

[Cero]

Well, this doesnt only pertain to software patents, but the whole idea of suing people just to make money makes me sick.
Law is there to bring justice. It's not for economical purposes. (My romantic childish naive and morally right viewpoint D: )

[UprightPath]

Law exists to place political and social pressure upon a person or group of persons in an attempt to sanction or permit certain acts. It should not be confused with Justice. Justice is quite a subjective idea and rarely do two people have the same idea of what is Just. And the more people you get together the fewer agree (I mean, just taking two people: I don't believe that it was just for my Ex to lead me on for several years because I was sweet on her and free with my money in an attempt to make her happy; since years ago we dated for a couple of weeks and I dumped, only to get back with her years later, she believes that her actions were perfectly just.)

Anyway~ in the case of patents it seems like a lot of it is coming down to a 'I came up with this idea, and it doesn't matter whether you do it a different way or do it better, you've got to pay me because I was first'. Or even 'We bought the rights to the idea from the person who thought of it first, there for you have to pay us even though we didn't actually do anything'. The latter of which doesn't feel like a good application of Law. Hah.

[erikd]

FIY there are no Software patents in Germany, for good reason.

There is no such a thing as a Software Patent and there never was. It's just a patent.
It used to be the case that in Europe there were some extra stipulations regarding patent applications involving software, but it was never impossible. And things have become more lax in these rules in Europe too.
The thing with this case though is that the patent in question doesn't seem to solve a *technical* problem, just a business problem. Afaik this is a requirement for a patent.

[princec]

Prior art all over the place I think too.

Cas

[Roquen]

I skimmed the patent filing and saw nothing in many many words.

[Roquen]

Happened across this: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/183889/Minecraft_creator_fights_against_software_patent_trolls_with_250K_donation.php#.UNMZPHexuk0

[appel]

Happened across this: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/183889/Minecraft_creator_fights_against_software_patent_trolls_with_250K_donation.php#.UNMZPHexuk0

He's the coolest person.

Imagine Bill Gates doing that... nope.

[HeroesGraveDev]

Patent trolls are disgusting.
I thought that all humans are supposed to be reasonable, and to have morals, but these things are hypocrites who do nothing but destroy progress just to make quick cash which could be easily earned by doing the real work.
Not to mention how utterly stupid this particular group is with their comments about Mojang suing Bethesda.
I think Notch/Markus is doing an Awesome job of destroying this mess.
I hope this works out.

[counterp]

If you cannot patent anything mathematical, then all patents in all fields are disputable.



Computational or algebraic is a different story.

[quibble]Shouldn't physics and chemistry be swapped?[/quibble]

And this is gonna get thrown out (for now) because they called it "Mindcraft" lol

[masteryoom]

Physicists are practically the same as mathematicians.

[Jimmt]

Physicists are practically the same as mathematicians.

You have approximately 3 seconds before someone walks into your house and blows your head off your body.

[sproingie]

[quibble]Shouldn't physics and chemistry be swapped?[/quibble]

Heck no.  Physics provides the underlying model that makes chem work, not vice versa.

Hell, I'd argue that mathematics is the one that doesn't fit, because it's not empirical.  But any joke, even geeky xkcd ones, can be killed by overanalyzing it.

[kramin42]

Physicists are practically the same as mathematicians.

Mathematics is a tool which is used by physicists (and many other people), they are not the same.