Businesses using open-source projects like Kubernetes are being targeted more often by patent trolls. Now the open source community is launching a counter-offensive and looking for volunteers.
  • Telorand@reddthat.comEnglish
    66·
    1 month ago

    Tldr, to help fight patent trolls:

    They’re asking you to find evidence of preexisting technology – referred to by patent lawyers as “prior art” – that can kill off bad patents. This could be open-source documentation (including release notes), published standards or specifications, product manuals, articles, blogs, books, or any publicly available information.

    They use this info to essentially undercut and invalidate the patent trolls’ filing, killing their ability to file suit on that patent again.

    There’s also a contest with a $3000 prize for anyone who can help kill a current one on their plate.

    https://patroll.unifiedpatents.com/contests/s3vQkRdTC6coNkjyx

  • JoYo 🇺🇸@lemmy.mlEnglish
    132·
    1 month ago

    if you are known to look at patents then you become a target of patent trolls.

    i advise good OPSEC.

  • canadaduane@lemmy.caEnglish
    6·
    1 month ago

    I love this approach.

    Nit: “If you can find prior art that describes such a system before June 13, 2013, you could be a winner.” … 2013 is a typo I’m guessing?

    • jqubed@lemmy.worldEnglish
      14·
      1 month ago

      That’s not the submission deadline, that’s the priority date for this particular patent, basically when it was first filed. If people can find other published information describing what the patent covers that predates the filing it would help invalidate the patent.