Patent troll sees lawsuit dismissed

Ad viewability can be a touchy subject for major websites, especially those that rely on advertising revenue for most or all of their funding. It has long been understood that about one-third of all online advertisements are never seen—often due to technical problems that prevent their display in the first place. For that reason, many advertising startups use ad viewability techniques to improve those numbers.

It works well until somebody sues. Last year, for example, ComScore sued three startups for allegedly violating patents on this process. According to an article on Pando Daily, the three startups—Moat, AdSafe and DoubleVerify—were targeted because they were not too large and powerful, yet not too small, either.

In other words, it was a classic case of a patent troll seeking an easy settlement.

As the news source explains, the case appeared even more suspicious once the patents themselves were considered. One was 17 years old, and none covered technology that was developed entirely by ComScore. And later, after two of the startups settled and only Moat remained to fight the charges, the case took on a personal nature when a lawyer for Moat began asking the ComScore CEO about his relationship with his wife. The two ended up in what was described as a "physical confrontation."

Ultimately, however, Pando Daily reported that the case against Moat was dismissed. In this instance, at least, the patent troll did not profit.

Tech startups find themselves at the receiving end of lawsuits with alarming frequency. By working with a Phoenix business attorney, they can fight back.

Categorised in: Intellectual Property Law

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