According to the Patent Examiner, a company called Innovatio IP Ventures is suing individual branches of hotel chains for use of Wi-Fi. Though I’m staunchly against software patents – and by extension software patent lawsuits – I think this is a good thing.
The company is launching a “systematic campaign” according to Matthew McAndrews, the lead litigator for Innovatio. The company is trying to shake down “several hundred” defendants for $2,300 to $5,000. Says McAndrews, “We want you to continue to use this technology, we just want our client to get his due share. This is not a seat-of-the-pants, fly-by-night shakedown.”
