“Rollover image on your website? That will be $80,000 (please)”

Using a patent acquired from the muchcriticized Intellectual Ventures, a company called Webvention claims to control broad rights over many common website features such as mouse rollover previews. It has begun suing many well-known companies (in East Texas, naturally) for alleged infringement; its licensing come-on letter to one target warned that if the $80,000 fee was not forthcoming the sum would rise after 60 days to $160,000 and after 90 days to $300,000. [Ars Technica; Joe Mullin, Patent Litigation Weekly] More: Coyote (“I am just waiting for the patent on breathing or metabolizing food.”)

2 Comments

  • I hate those rollovers on news sites. Same goes for autocomplete functions. Sue them all.

  • My mother-in-law successfully fought a patent for the manufacture and growth of organic sprouts. They have been grown for decades, but this company filed a patent, and almost created a monopoly. She did lose several major stores until the issue was resolved.