Feed aggregator

Apple's Braided Solo Loop Can Be Yours for Only $30 This Black Friday

CNET Feed - Wed, 11/20/2024 - 1:55pm
Score 70% off an Apple Watch Braided Solo Loop in multiple colors and sizes.
Categories: CNET

Hi I Am Nicci

Hacker News - Wed, 11/20/2024 - 1:52pm
Categories: Hacker News

Amazon Eero Pro 6E Mesh Routers Are Down to Record Lows for Black Friday

CNET Feed - Wed, 11/20/2024 - 1:38pm
Is your Wi-Fi sluggish? Level it up with tons of deals on Eero routers live right now.
Categories: CNET

Oppose The Patent-Troll-Friendly PREVAIL Act

EFF - Wed, 11/20/2024 - 1:38pm

Good news: the Senate Judiciary Committee has dropped one of the two terrible patent bills it was considering, the patent-troll-enabling Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA).

Bad news: the committee is still pushing the PREVAIL Act, a bill that would hamstring the U.S.’s most effective system for invalidating bad patents. PREVAIL is a windfall for patent trolls, and Congress should reject  it.

Take Action

Tell Congress: No New Bills For Patent Trolls

One of the most effective tools to fight bad patents in the U.S. is a little-known but important system called inter partes review, or IPR. Created by Congress in 2011, the IPR process addresses a major problem: too many invalid patents slip through the cracks at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. While not an easy or simple process, IPR is far less expensive and time-consuming than the alternative—fighting invalid patents in federal district court.

That’s why small businesses and individuals rely on IPR for protection. More than 85% of tech-related patent lawsuits are filed by non-practicing entities, also known as “patent trolls”—companies that don’t have products or services of their own, but instead make dozens, or even hundreds, of patent claims against others, seeking settlement payouts.

So it’s no surprise that patent trolls are frequent targets of IPR challenges, often brought by tech companies. Eliminating these worst-of-the-worst patents is a huge benefit to small companies and individuals that might otherwise be unable to afford an IPR challenge themselves. 

For instance, Apple used an IPR-like process to invalidate a patent owned by the troll Ameranth, which claimed rights over using mobile devices to order food. Ameranth had sued over 100 restaurants, hotels, and fast-food chains. Once the patent was invalidated, after an appeal to the Federal Circuit, Ameranth’s barrage of baseless lawsuits came to an end. 

PREVAIL Would Ban EFF and Others From Filing Patent Challenges

The IPR system isn’t just for big tech—it has also empowered nonprofits like EFF to fight patents that threaten the public interest. 

In 2013, a patent troll called Personal Audio LLC claimed that it had patented podcasting. The patent titled “System for disseminating media content representing episodes in a serialized sequence,” became the basis for the company’s demand for licensing fees from podcasters nationwide. Personal Audio filed lawsuits against three podcasters and threatened countless others.  

EFF took on the challenge, raising over $80,000 through crowd-funding to file an IPR petition. The Patent Trial and Appeals Board agreed: the so-called “podcasting patent,” should never have been granted. EFF proved that Personal Audio’s claims were invalid, and our victory was upheld all the way to the Supreme Court

The PREVAIL Act would block such efforts. It limits IPR petitions to parties directly targeted by a patent owner, shutting out groups like EFF that protect the broader public. If PREVAIL becomes law, millions of people indirectly harmed by bad patents—like podcasters threatened by Personal Audio—will lose the ability to fight back.

PREVAIL Tilts the Field in Favor of Patent Trolls

The PREVAIL Act will make life easier for patent trolls at every step of the process. It is shocking that the Senate Judiciary Committee is using the few remaining hours it will be in session this year to advance a bill that undermines the rights of innovators and the public.  

Patent troll lawsuits target individuals and small businesses for simply using everyday technology. Everyone who can meet the legal requirements of an IPR filing should have the right to challenge invalid patents. Use our action center today and tell Congress: that’s not a right we want to give up today. 

Take Action

Tell Congress: reject the prevail act

More on the PREVAIL Act: 

Score a Cricut Explore Air 2 for $40 Less Thanks to this Black Friday Deal

CNET Feed - Wed, 11/20/2024 - 1:34pm
The Cricut Explore Air 2 can cut over 100 materials and it's now at a new low price for Black Friday, making it a perfect gift for the DIYer in your life.
Categories: CNET

Should You Cut Down Your Trees Before Installing Solar Panels?

CNET Feed - Wed, 11/20/2024 - 1:25pm
A little shade on your solar panels isn't the end of the world, but you don't want your trees to cover the entire array.
Categories: CNET

Play Stalker 2 Now and More Games Soon With Xbox Game Pass

CNET Feed - Wed, 11/20/2024 - 1:16pm
Game Pass Ultimate subscribers also get some Genshin Impact rewards.
Categories: CNET

How I Saved Money Replacing My iPhone's Battery Without AppleCare

CNET Feed - Wed, 11/20/2024 - 1:13pm
Instead of paying a monthly fee to a phone insurance plan, I was able to use a credit card perk to get reimbursed for some of the repair costs.
Categories: CNET

Casper Dream Max Hybrid Review 2024: Plush Yet Supportive Luxury

CNET Feed - Wed, 11/20/2024 - 1:04pm
We tried the famous Casper Dream Max hybrid mattress, and this is what we think of it.
Categories: CNET

Pages