OIN scoops up Microsoft patents that were put up for grabs (potentially by patent trolls); similarity to Intellectual Ventures seen

Lots of news about patents, including the problems in Europe and Microsoft's patent troll of choice.

New examples of patent trolls and patent boosters (possibly even lobbyists) putting a form of patent tax on the de facto universal platform which is free Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures, which is funded and made with Microsoft’s investments (Myhrvold is Microsoft’s former CTO), is expanding the pyramid scheme by signing a patent deal with HTC. The Register says:

The intellectual insanity resumes. Let’s take a quick look at some highlights from the news.

Here is just a quick roundup of news which revolves around our ‘favourite’ patents trolls, our ‘favourite’ anti-Free software laws, and Microsoft’s latest intellectual monopoly offenses.

Red Hat reveals details about Microsoft's marketing of anti-FOSS patents; other patent news summarised

Red Hat and Novell stood up to a patent bully and got a favorable jury verdict in the IPI trial which invalidated some software patents that should never have been issued. It's hard to see how that's not a good thing for open source. It's also good that the particular battle has inspired discussion of the need for fundamental reform of the U.S. patent system.

Patents as a tool that protects the ’small inventor’ may be a Big Myth. They only protect monopolies and feed patent trolls that are not the ’small inventor’ but are rather the ‘vicious lawyer’.

Familiar patent trolls, including Ray Niro and Acacia, make another appearance