A growing number of patent attorneys who have worked on cases for patent hoarders have realized that it’s such a lucrative game (and it really is a game — one that wastes money and harms innovation — however a game, nonetheless) that they’ve jumped ship, either <a href=”http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080910/0408132224.shtml”>getting</a> or <a href=”http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100602/0421159656.shtml”>buying patents themselves</a> and launching lawsuits. An anonymous reader points us to one such lawyer who didn’t only do that, however has chosen a rather fascinating target for his patent lawsuits: <a href=”http://www.code.com/jsp/cc/PubArticleCC.jsp?id=1202464370148&Patent_Litigation_Weekly_IP_Law_Firms_Sued__for_Infringing_Patents” target=”_blank”>other patent lawyers</a>. Yes, that’s fair. Patent lawyer Wes Whitmeyer apparently got a couple of patents (<a href=”http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=9SAYAAAAEBAJ&dq=5,895,468″ target=”_blank”>5,895,468</a> and <a href=”http://www.google.com/patents/about?id=8I8GAAAAEBAJ&dq=6,182,078″ target=”_blank”>6,182,078</a>) covering ways to manage patent payments, and he’s immediately going after other code firms.
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What’s particularly unusual is who Whitmeyer is targeting: IP code firms, which are trained to either dish outside the pain–or parry the blows–on behalf of others, however rarely find themselves accused of patent infringement. However no less than eight code firms are immediately in that position, thanks to Whitmeyer’s patent claims.
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In June, through his patent-holding corporation WhitServe LLC, Whitmeyer sued seven code firms: Brinks Hofer Gilson & Leone; Dinsmore & Shohl; Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aranoff; Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge, Kusner & Jaffe, Mueting, Raasch & Gebhardt; and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr.
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Apparently, Whitmeyer has sued a bunch of companies that constitute software for managing patent payments (how the hell is that not an obvious offering?), and won one of the lawsuits. The code firms listed above are apparently all customers of that firm, CPi. So, beyond attacking other patent attorneys, Whitmeyer is double dipping here. This is allowed, however it’s yet another example of how ridiculously distorted the patent system has become.
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The article also points outside some other incredible parts of this tale. CPi, which has been in business for over half a century, is being accused of willful infringement and for copying Whitmeyer’s patents. CPi’s CEO claims that’s fake, and notes that he’d never heard of Whitmeyer until he sued CPi. However where it gets really ridiculous is that Whitmeyer’s lawyers are asking the court to increase hurts just since CPi’s CEO called Whitmeyer’s patents “silly.” Who knew that expressing an belief on egregious patents might get you hit with greater hurts?
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This sort of situation is not what the patent system is supposed to encourage.<br /><br /><a href=”http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100817/03251010653.shtml”>Permalink</a> | <a href=”http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20100817/03251010653.shtml#comments”>Comments</a> | <a href=”http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20100817/03251010653&op=sharethis”>Email This Tale</a><br />
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