Patent trolls and the RIAA are in the news this weekend over three different issues.
RIAA has issues a takedown requests to try and stop websites allowing download videos from YouTube. Google has been working with RIAA to do this, but in the case of YouTube-MP3.org, users are fighting back against the supposed terms of service violation. A petition drive to Google has been started to reinstate YouTube-MP3.org to Google's search listings. For more information on this, view http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120703/09203219563/users-rise-up-to-get-youtube-mp3-downloader-re-instated.shtml
Patent troll #1 is Eolas, the company who tried suing everyone under the sun to protect a patent on 'interactive web experience'. Not only losing the lawsuits in court, Eolas tried to assert again its patent and was banned from doing so by the judge in the case. This means, the company would have to appeal in order to attempt to enforce their two patents. Eolas is a case study in the problems with overarching patents for theoretical items being allowed through the system. Patenting an idea is supposed to be not possible, but patent troll companies have been able to get their patent applications past a tech-ignorant review board. To read more about the court server, view http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/07/patent-troll-takes-last-shot-at-owning-interactive-web-but-falls-short
Patent troll #2 is Uniloc, who has sued Mojang and Minecraft. Uniloc claims Mojang has infringed on "system and method for preventing unauthorized access to electronic data." with the Android version of Minecraft (called Mindcraft throughout the legal document filed). Again, another company got an idea patented and are now out to collect on it. In this case, Minecraft, which Lagspike.tv has its own server for and a game we broadcast on a regular basis, is the target. Read more about the lawsuit at http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2012/07/minecraft-developer-sued-by-aggressive-litigator-over-drm-patent
Patent troll #3 is the US Olympic Committee. What? Yes, the US Olympic Committee has forced a gyro restaurant to change its name from Olympic Gyros in Philadelphia. The fight has lasted 30 years, but due to the 1978 Olympic law, the US Olympic Committee can enforce its trademark control over anything named Olympic. The Philadelphia Daily News states:
"Three decades after it burst from the starting block, the Greek eatery Olympic Gyro has received a cease-and-desist email from the USOC, the nonprofit corporation responsible for training and funding U.S. teams. The June 7 notice demanded deletion of the word "Olympic" from the food shop's title, claiming copyright of the word under a 1978 law."
The US Olympic Committee claims this had to be done to protect their corporate sponsors. More information can be found at http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120713/06513919689/us-olympic-committee-forces-30-year-old-philidelphia-gyro-restaraunt-to-change-its-name.shtml
As a note, Lagspike.tv will be airing a running commentary of the 2012 Opening Ceremonies in London. Because of NBC and BBC, chances are we will not actually be airing the event but we will be live making comments on the events as they unfold since the opening ceremonies is a news event.