going, going, gone!

from the AP:

Bankrupt Internet software maker Commerce One Inc. auctioned off dozens of prized online patents for $15.5 million in a sale that could provoke a legal scuffle over whether the new owner is entitled to collect royalties from a long list of technology heavyweights.

A secretive company called JGR Acquisition Inc. wrested the patents from two other bidders with ties to former Microsoft Corp. chief technology officer Nathan Mhyrvold, who is now running a startup that hopes to accumulate a treasure chest of valuable patents.

. . . .

The group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, intends to contest any attempt to collect royalties from the Commerce One patents, arguing that the company previously promised not to seek payments for using the technology in question.

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Posted by Douglas Sorocco, December 6, 2004 at 9:24 pm
Permalink: going, going, gone!
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