Patent defense, FOSS-style

[Robert Tiller]

  I wanted to let everyone know of a new development in the lawsuit 
against Red Hat and Novell brought by IP Innovation, a subsidiary of the 
noted patent troll firm Acacia Technologies. We are inviting FOSS 
community members to submit prior art relevant to the patents, which may 
be used to help invalidate the patents.
  On Friday we posted information regarding the three patents in suit on 
the Linux Defenders website in its Post Issue Peer to Patent  area.  The 
site was developed with Red Hat's assistance by the Open Invention 
Network and the Center for Patent Innovations at New York Law School, 
which is now being run by our old friend Mark Webbink.  The site is 
here:  
http://www.post-issue.org/user-interface-with-multiple-workspaces-for-sharing-display-system-objects-3  
The claims of the patents, which can be reached from the site, concern a 
user interface that has multiple workspaces.   
  Red Hat has strong defenses in this lawsuit, but this will likely 
reinforce them.  We also view this as an additional opportunity for 
creative collaboration with the community.  

-- 
Robert H. Tiller
Vice President 
& Assistant General Counsel, IP
Red Hat, Inc.
1801 Varsity Drive
Raleigh, N.C.  27606
(919) 754 4232
rtiller at redhat.com