Drew Curtis: How I beat a patent troll

譯者: Wang-Ju Tsai 審譯者: Un I (Carrie) Kuok

Last January, my company, Fark.com, was sued

去年一月 我的公司 Fark.com 被人告了

along with Yahoo, MSN, Reddit,

一同被告的還有 雅虎, MSN, Reddit,

AOL, TechCrunch and others

美國在線, TechCrunch 等

by a company called Gooseberry Natural Resources.

提告的是一家叫 Gooseberry Natural Resources 的公司

Gooseberry owned a patent

這家公司擁有

for the creation and distribution

透過電子郵件來

of news releases via email.

來產生和發佈新聞稿的專利

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now it may seem kind of strange that such a thing can actually be patented,

這也可以是專利 真的令人難以致信

but it does happen all the time.

但這種事並不少見

Take something already being done

將已經存在的東西

and patent it for an emerging technology --

作為新興技術申請專利

like phone calls on the internet

像透過網路打電話

or video listings for TV shows

或將影片目錄用在電視上

or radio but for cellphones,

還有在手機上聼收聲機

and so on.

等等

The problem with these patents

之所以會有這些關於專利權的糾紛

is that the mechanisms are obscure

是因為這方面的機制含糊不清

and the patent system is dysfunctional,

還有專利系統的不健全

and as a result, most of these lawsuits end in settlements.

結果導致大部分的訴訟都以和解收場

And because these settlements are under a non-disclosure agreement,

又因爲和解的保密條款

no one knows what the terms were.

沒有人知道和解的内容是什麽

And as a result, the patent troll can claim

所以這些專利蟑螂

that they won the case.

可以宣稱他們贏了官司

In the case of Gooseberry Natural Resources,

在Gooseberry Natural Resources 的例子裏

this patent on emailing news releases

用電子郵件發送新聞稿的專利

had sort of a fatal flaw

在我看來

as it pertained to myself,

有一個致命的缺陷

and that was that in the mainstream media world

這個缺陷就是在主流媒體中

there is only one definition for news release,

對發佈新聞稿的定義只有一個

and it turns out that is press release --

就是報道新聞的文字稿

as in P.R.

也就是公關學裏對新聞稿的定義

Now my company, Fark,

而我的公司 Fark

deals with news, ostensibly,

很明顯 只在處理新聞

and as a result

而不是新聞稿 所以

we were not in violation of this patent.

我們並沒有侵犯這個專利

So case closed, right?

所以官司可以了結 對不對？

Wrong.

錯

One of the major problems with patent law is that,

專利法一個大問題是

in the case that when you are sued by a patent troll,

當你被一個專利蟑螂告的時候

the burden of proof that you did not infringe on the patent

去舉證沒有侵犯該專利的責任

is actually on the defendant,

是落在被告的身上

which means you have to prove

也就是說你要去證明

that you do not infringe on the patent they're suing you on.

你沒有侵犯他們所提出的專利

And this can take quite a while.

這很花時間

You need to know that the average patent troll defense

大家要知道 處理專利蟑螂控告的案件

costs two million dollars

每件平均要花2百萬美元

and takes 18 months when you win.

就算你最後勝訴 這個司法過程共需要18個月

That is your best case outcome

這還是被專利蟑螂起訴的

when you get sued by a patent troll.

最佳結局

Now I had hoped to team up with some of these larger companies

我那時想跟一些大公司聯手

in order to defend against this lawsuit,

來共同打這個官司

but one-by-one they settled out of the case,

但是他們一個接一個地選擇和解

even though -- and this is important --

但重點是

none of these companies

沒有任何一家公司

infringed on this patent -- not a one of them.

有侵犯到這個專利 完全沒有

And they started settling out.

他們就這樣和解了

The reason they settled out

他們這麽做的原因是

is because it's cheaper to settle than to fight the lawsuit --

和解所需的費用比訴訟少

clearly, two million dollars cheaper in some cases,

因為即使你贏了, 你也要付200萬美元的訴訟費

and much worse if you actually lose.

而如果官司輸了, 你就要賠更多的錢

It would also constitute a massive distraction for management of a company,

同時, 法律訴訟會嚴重打亂公司的管理節奏

especially a small eight-man shop like my company.

特別是我這種只由8人組成的小公司來說

Six months into the lawsuit,

進入司法程序的第6個月

we finally reached the discovery phase.

終於到了舉證的階段

And in discovery phase,

在舉證的階段

we asked the patent troll to please provide

我們要求專利蟑螂拿出

screenshots of Fark

我們公司

where the infringement of their patent

侵犯他們專利

was actually occurring.

實際例子的截圖

Now perhaps it's because no such screenshots actually existed,

或許是因爲這樣的截圖根本不存在

but suddenly Gooseberry wanted to settle.

Gooseberry突然說要和解

Their attorney:

他們的律師說

"Ah, yes. My company's having a reorganization on our end."

“喔。 因爲我們公司内部正在重整，”

Never mind the fact

但事實是

that the address led to a strip mall somewhere in Northern L.A.

這個公司位於洛杉磯北部的某購物中心

with no employees.

那裏根本就沒人在辦公

"And we'd like to go ahead and close this out.

“所以我們希望快快解決這個案件，展望未來，

So would you mind giving us your best and final offer?"

所以可不可以告訴我 你們願意付多少和解金呢?"

My response:

我的回答是：

"How about nothing?!"

“零元，你看怎樣？!”

(Applause)

（掌聲）

We didn't have high hopes for that outcome.

我們對這個價碼沒太多信心

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But they settled.

但是他們同意和解

No counter offer.

而且沒有討價還價

Now, as mentioned before,

我剛剛也提到

one of the reasons I can talk to you about this

我今天還能在這裡跟大家談這個案子

is because there's no non-disclosure agreement on this case.

原因是這個和解沒有保密條款

Now how did that happen?

為甚麼呢?

Well during the settlement process, when we received our copy, I struck it.

這是因為 在我們收到和解書時候 我把它劃掉了

My attorney said, "Nah, no chance of that working."

我的律師說: “對方不大可能會同意啊。”

It came back signed.

但 對方簽了那份和解書

Now why? You can call them.

爲什麽會這樣？你可以打電話問他們

They're not under NDA either.

他們也不受保密條款的限制

Now what did I learn from this case? Well, three things.

那麽我從這個案子學到了什麽？三件事

First of all, if you can,

第一 可以的話

don't fight the patent, fight the infringement.

不要從專利上下手 要從專利侵害上下手

Patents are very difficult to overturn.

否決專利訴訟很困難

Infringement is a lot easier to disprove.

但專利侵害則比較容易提出反證

Secondly, make it clear from the beginning

第二 一開始就講清楚

that either you have no money at all

說你根本沒半毛錢

or that you would rather spend money with your attorney fighting the troll

或是說你寧願花錢告垮專利蟑螂

than actually giving them the money.

也不願把錢給他們

Now the reason this works

爲什麽這會有用

is because patent trolls

是因爲專利蟑螂

are paid a percentage of what they're able to recover in settlements.

能在和解金上抽成

If it becomes clear to them that they cannot recover any money,

如果他們覺得在這個案件上得不到錢

they become less interested in pursuing the case.

他們就不會有興趣告到底

Finally, make sure that you can tell them

最後一點 明白地告訴他們

that you will make this process

說你會盡全力把訴訟過程

as annoying and as painful

弄得非常麻煩

and as difficult as possible for them.

令他們痛不欲生、雞犬不寧

Now this is a tactic that patent trolls are supposed to use on people

這本來是那些專利蟑螂

to get their way.

為達到目的耍的技倆

It turns out, because they're paid on contingency,

但是因爲他們只有勝訴時才有酬勞

it works really, really well in reverse.

所以這個方法十分有效

Don't forget that.

一定要記住這個

So what does all this mean?

那麽這一切要告訴我們什麽？

Well to sum up,

總結的來説

it boils down to one thing:

可以用以下一句話來做結論

Don't negotiate with terrorists.

絕對不跟恐怖分子協商

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Patent trolls have done more damage to the United States economy

專利蟑螂每年對美國的經濟

than any domestic or foreign

所帶來的傷害比起任何時期

terrorist organization in history

國内國外的任何恐怖組織

every year.

都還要大

And what do they do with that money?

那他們怎麽花那些和解金？

They plow it right back into filing more troll lawsuits.

他們把和解金起訴更多的公司

Now this is the point in the Talk

這個演講進行到這

where I'm supposed to come up with some kind of a solution for the patent system.

我應該要為完善專利系統提出一些建議

And the problem with that

但問題是

is that there are two very large industry groups

目前有兩大工業

that have different outcomes in mind

他們對專利系統

for the patent system.

有不同的主張和看法

The health care industry

醫療衛生工業

would like stronger protections for inventors.

希望對發明者有更多的保護

The hi-tech industry

而高科技產業

would like stronger protections for producers.

則希望對製造商有更多的保護

And these goals aren't necessarily diametrically opposed, but they are at odds.

這兩個觀點不是對立的，但並不一致

And as a result, patent trolls can kind of live in the space in between.

這導致專利蟑螂能在中間的灰色地帶生存

So unfortunately I'm not smart enough

所以很不幸地 我還不夠聰明

to have a solution for the patent troll problem.

沒能想出對付專利蟑螂的辦法

However, I did have this idea,

但是我倒是有個主意

and it was kind of good.

我覺得挺不錯的主意

And I thought, "I should patent this."

我在想 我該給我的主意申請專利保護

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Behold, patent infringement via mobile device --

大家小心了。為定義為非固定電腦的

defined as a computer which is not stationary.

移動裝置申請專利

My solution: award me this patent

我的解決方法是：將這個專利給我

and I will troll them out of existence.

我會用這個專利將專利蟑螂趕盡殺絕

Thank you.

謝謝大家

(Applause)

（掌聲）