Litigators Corner:
Who's the Real Bogeyman Here?

Regular IP Today columnist Joseph N. Hosteny is an intellectual property litigation attorney with the Chicago law firm of Niro, Scavone, Haller & Niro. A Registered Professional Engineer and former Assistant US Attorney, his articles have also appeared in Corporate C ounsel Magazine, The D ocket (American Corporate Counsel Association), American Medical N ews, Inventors’ D igest, L itigation Magazine and Assembly E ngineering Magazine. Mr. Hosteny can be reached at (312) 236-0733, or by e-mail at jhosteny@hosteny.com, or by visiting his web site at http://www.hosteny.com.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation doesn’t like what it calls “bogus software patents.” It says:

Tired of bogus software patents? So are we! To combat these annoying and often dangerous legal weapons, EFF has launched the Patent Busting Project to take down some of worst offenders.

We need your help! Take a look at the Top Ten Most Wanted culprits on our list, and let us know if you have any leads on technology that predates them (called "prior art") that we can use to challenge their validity. Click on a patent to find out more.¹

These words are taken directly from the organization’s online “Patent Busting Project...