Creator of Linux virtual assistant blames 'patent troll' for project's death

Re:Creator of Linux virtual assistant blames 'patent troll' ... by throw34778314 on Monday February 13, 2023 @05:27PM (#34781737)

Patent trolls are scum.

I have my doubts, however, about the narrative in this article. Mycroft first posted about the patent troll to their blog on February 5, 2020 (https://web.archive.org/web/20200303015458/https://mycroft.a...). Eight days later, on February 13, 2020, Mycroft published a second post stating that the patent troll dropped their case (https://web.archive.org/web/20200305135828/https://mycroft.a...).

I am sympathetic to hardware startups, but in Mycroft's case, ongoing patent troll litigation was not the apparent cause of death.

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Re:Creator of Linux virtual assistant blames 'patent troll' ... by jandrese on Monday February 13, 2023 @05:36PM (#34781881)

It's possible the patent troll spooked some investors and caused them to back out.

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Re:Creator of Linux virtual assistant blames 'patent troll' ... by throw34778314 on Monday February 13, 2023 @06:25PM (#34782503)

Unfortunately the same patent troll sued twice. Mycroft's blog posts on the second suit:

https://web.archive.org/web/20200807211354/https://mycroft.a...

https://web.archive.org/web/20200516014621/https://mycroft.a...

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Re:Creator of Linux virtual assistant blames 'patent troll' ... by lucideer on Monday February 13, 2023 @06:26PM (#34782519)

Have you read the article text or just the headline? The article says the same thing you're saying (trill dropped the case) & cites legal costs already incurred by then as being a burden on mycroft.

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[Edit] Ok you've edited so my reply no longer makes sense, but one case or two there would be legal costs to mycroft regardless.

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Re:Creator of Linux virtual assistant blames 'patent troll' ... by throw34778314 on Monday February 13, 2023 @06:37PM (#34782609)

Mea culpa for kneejerk commenting. The article is a little confusing though; what actually seems to have occurred is:

1. Patent troll entity filed a suit in east Texas, c. February 2020 (https://web.archive.org/web/20200410225148/https://mycroft.a...).

2. Same patent troll entity dropped the first suit, also c. February 2020 (https://web.archive.org/web/20200305135828/https://mycroft.a...).

3. Same patent troll entity filed a second suit in Kansas City on February 18, 2020 (https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2020/03/30/mycro...) (https://web.archive.org/web/20200807211354/https://mycroft.a...) (https://web.archive.org/web/20200516014621/https://mycroft.a...).

This second suit seems to have substantially cost Mycroft.

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Re:Creator of Linux virtual assistant blames 'patent troll' ... by bdowling on Monday February 13, 2023 @08:14PM (#34783765)

According to a subsequent suit filed by the patentee's attorney, the patentee voluntarily withdrew the suit in the Eastern District of Texas after its lawyer and the lawyer's family were subjected to a targeted campaign of harassment and cyber attacks. [0] The patentee then re-filed the case in Mycroft's home state of Missouri. [1]

[0] Tumey L.L.P. et al v. Mycroft AI Inc. et al Case No. 4:21-cv-00113 (W.D. Mo.) Complaint https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/legaldocs/egpbkqlzqvq/...

[1] Id. at 13.

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