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Ask HN: Just got sued by patent troll – what should I do?

by angkec on 8/28/13, 6:20 PM with 18 comments

Hi fellow hackers, I could use some help here. We developed an simple location sharing app 3~4 years ago, and got sued yesterday along with Apple, Google, Verizon, Sprint, T-mobile[1], Glympse[2] by some company called Remote Locator Systems LLC in Texas. They claim that we infringed their patent called "Method and Apparatus for Locating Personnel and Objects in Response to Telephone Inquiries". Any one know what we should do about it?

[1] Apple being sued: http://www.macrumors.com/2013/08/28/apple-number-one-target-for-patent-trolls-with-171-cases-in-five-years/, last paragraph. For everyone being sued, just search for the patent name "Method and Apparatus for Locating Personnel and Objects in Response to Telephone Inquiries" and look at the top 10 results from Google.

[2] Us getting sued along with Glympse and 5 other companies: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9alxrfqg8iwcnpa/aries%20app.pdf

  • by billybob255 on 8/28/13, 7:35 PM

    Talk to a lawyer

    Here's an article from Monday with some advice.

    http://www.fastcolabs.com/3016290/how-startups-should-handle...

  • by FurrBall on 8/28/13, 7:49 PM

    Patent law needs to be overhauled. It's getting ridiculous. If you are successful you WILL be sued by a troll for infringing their "breathing air" patent.

    I don't have advice, only sympathy.

  • by purplelobster on 8/29/13, 5:11 PM

    Just as a curiosity, do these patent trolls mainly target US companies? What is the environment like for patents and trolls in the EU for instance?

  • by epeus on 8/29/13, 4:19 AM

    This EFF site is a good resource: https://trollingeffects.org/

  • by kjs3 on 8/30/13, 12:45 AM

    Might want to send your story to Ken White, et. al., at http://www.popehat.com. If they get sufficiently interested/outraged, they can help set you find an appropriate lawyer in your area and can publicize your case. I'd also contact www.chillingeffects.org.