Open Invention Network Backs Gnome Project Against Patent Troll
OIN has deployed its legal team to find prior art.
The Gnome Project was recently sued by a company called Rothschild Patent Imaging for a patent related to the Shotwell photo manager. The Gnome community has just announced that it is counter-suing Rothschild, which they refer to as a patent troll.
Keith Bergelt, OIN’s CEO, said in his keynote at Open Source Summit, Europe, “Rothschild is a bad company. This is an entity that’s antithetical to the goals of innovation. It will sue foundations. It will sue not for profits. It will sue individuals. It will sue corporations. Their playbook is to establish a pattern of wins through relatively modest settlements,” which can get other businesses to pay up without a fight.
Gnome turned down the offer to settle for a five-figure sum in order to sue Rothschild and challenge the patent. The Gnome community has established the “Gnome Patent Troll Defense Fund” to raise money for this suit and similar attacks.
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