Attacking Patent Trolls

A Clever Algorithm Generating Millions of Random Ideas Is Turning the Tables on Patent Trolls

Thu-Huong Ha | April 21, 2016

Sometimes the only way to beat a troll is to troll even harder.
Artist and engineer Alexander Reben has written an algorithm that exploits the convoluted US patent system in order to mess with patent trolls—people and organizations who file for patents on trivial concepts without any intention of building a product, then extort money from those who actually make things.
His project, All Prior Art, posts ideas for “inventions” to prevent people from filing patents they’re not going to use. According to US patent law, if there’s “prior art“—in this case, a previously published version of the idea—no one can file a patent on it. He’s posted 4.2 million such ideas and counting.

Source: http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/5/4399130/the-white-house-vs-patent-trolls-lawsuits

<more at http://qz.com/665039/a-clever-algorithm-generating-millions-of-random-ideas-is-turning-the-tables-on-patent-trolls/; related articles and links: http://allpriorart.com/ (All Prior Art. Algorithmically generated prior art) and https://www.eff.org/issues/resources-patent-troll-victims (Patent Trolls)>