back to article Apple ordered to fling some spare change at wireless patent troll

Apple has been ordered to pay Core Wireless Licensing $7.3m for infringing on two patents covering mobile communication. The amount is a rounding error on the iPhone giant's books. A federal jury in California reached the decision on Thursday, agreeing that the company's iPhones and iPads infringe US patents 6,477,151 (which …

  1. MNGrrrl
    WTF?

    Judge Derpy Von Bonehead...

    How does not wanting to negotiate with a troll indicate "wrong-doing"? We don't negotiate with terrorists -- does that mean we're hiding something? Extend this logic and it quickly becomes clear it's completely absurd: If every negotiation that broke down indicated "wrong-doing", diplomacy would basically amount to the childhood game of "If you don't say _____, you're gay!" It becomes a game of trying to trick your opponent into a no-win situation, rather than negotiating in good faith to avoid costly litigation, wars, divorce or... worst of all, winding up living in the suburbs.

    Although... it would make these court trials less boring if they consisted of "I know you are, but what am I!" and other highly sophisticated legal deductions.

  2. stizzleswick
    FAIL

    Don't Feed The Trolls.

    The judge clearly does not understand this basic principle. Unfortunately, in the U.S., that seems to be a common problem.

  3. james 68

    "Unless it can find other patents to gobble, this troll may soon be on its way out. "

    Unfortunately...no.

    These vermin are capable of rising from the dead, often long after their corpse has festered into otherwise useless fertilizer (though some might say they started as shit in the first place).

    For reference see: SCO

  4. JBFUK

    I don't understand why people take this in such a hostile manner. Either you don't believe in patents and IP rights at all, or, it is completely valid and within the rights of the patent holder to sue for patent infringement.

    Personally I don't have a problem with this. If Apple want to profit from a concept that somebody else came up with first and patented then they should pay their dues.

    1. TVU Silver badge

      "I don't understand why people take this in such a hostile manner. Either you don't believe in patents and IP rights at all, or, it is completely valid and within the rights of the patent holder to sue for patent infringement."

      I don't have a problem with the inventor, the inventor's estate or successor firm in the same area of work getting payment for the use of intellectual property. I really do have an issue though with parasite outfits that are clearly, and only, designed as income by vexatious litigation operations. A few suitable precedent legal cases would soon crush these parasites.

      1. JBFUK

        So wouldn't it follow that the inventor or inventor's estate have the right to sell the rights to their intellectual property on to another party in exchange for a fixed sum? If that's the case then surely the person, persons or company that purchased the IP then have the right to defend its value in exactly the same way that the inventor would have?

        It's an investment business - find something that you believe is undervalued or will grow in value over time, invest in it, collect the gains/rewards later down the line. If another company tries to defraud you out of what is rightfully yours, sue them.

        It's morally no worse than investment banking.

  5. TVU Silver badge

    Apple ordered to fling some spare change at wireless patent troll

    I completely detest these parasitic patent trolls for they are the leeches of Silicon Valley. I sincerely hope that Apple is able to take this case further, either at the California or federal level, and that the patent trolls ultimately lose.

    Something should be done about patent trolling which appears to be particularly prevalent in the United States, i.e. it gets outlawed.

  6. gautam

    SAMSUNG A VERMIN?

    Rounded. Corners anyone…...?

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