Shareholder's Meeting
posted on
Feb 01, 2010 06:04PM
Hi all:
The decision to attend this year’s SHM was an easy one since our son lives in a Chicago suburb.I fully intended to make a post Thursday night when we got to my son’s house, but our weekend visit included replacing interior doors on the home he recently purchased.The door replacement job turned into a nightmare.Three 14-hour days later, we got doors replaced, painted and made the trip back to Indiana.Hence, the late post.
After reading thru the SHM posts, I found that Stormking and Thorpe did a great job of reporting, therefore, I will only post other items not covered (from my viewpoint) plus possibly a couple clarifications.
Larry Henneman IP counsel:He said the 336 and 584 (w/claim 29 change) are just as strong coming thru PTO re-exam as original claims. He and Mac Leckrone said they were very pleased with progress at PTO.
Final is not Final:Henneman said he got a panic call from Carlton Johnson about what is final from patent office. My take is they were talking about the 336 patent when we got recertification notice then days later see another re-exam request. Larry went on to say third parties can always file for re-exam but, there is limited amount of new information or prior art and the 336 has been looked at with 600 possible prior art references. He stated that current 336 re-exam is not based on new information and he felt it would easily be overturned by PTO.
Mac Leckrone: Stated that MMP may be the most important patents in microprocessor history.He stated that TPL has sent out 15,000 claim charts to possible patent infringers which is an unprecedented feat. He was later questioned by a fellow who said he was a patent attorney and shareholder and wondered since they had sent out 15,000 claim charts why are they only getting about 20 new signings each year and at that pace it could take 300 years to sign all infringers. He wanted to know what is tipping point to speed up signings. Mac said they try to approach new companies with an adversarial viewpoint instead of with a threatening approach.Mac said they are trying to look at the big picture.
Dan Leckrone: What a character! He insinuated that the current lull in new signings may be companies stalling; thinking new patent reform legislation could be passed.Dan said there is a rumor that patent legislation may be put on the back of a new jobs bill. He encouraged everyone to stay informed and contact your congressional reps. Dan said Patent office is overburdened and under funded.
John Burns Holocom:We sat near John Burns. He is a very nice individual and was very open about his concerns for PTSC. In our conversation, I told my wife “John is one of the good guys who is making PTSC positive cash flow”. John said “yes, and I was not invited to this meeting”. I think he wants more support from BOD. John said he purchased PTSC shares in the .60 to .80 range and came to Thursday’s meeting as a concerned shareholder. Later, John introduced me to Carlton Johnson who was walking by. I was telling Carlton that we had been shareholders since 1994 and out of the blue Carlton said “I think there are some attorneys in this room”. My wife said “how do you know, can you smell them?” after a quick laugh he said “you do know that I am an attorney too!”LOL
In closing, I really enjoyed getting to see some of the people behind the story. It helps to be able to put faces and personalities with the names. I left feeling better about the MMP patents and the people enforcing the patents. But I have come to realize in the last few months, that I may lose my total investment in PTSC for the following reasons:TPL asking for more money, patent reform legislation, J 3 resolution, PTO review, and today’s economy slowing new licenses.So, what is the tipping point for PTO approval:California trial or Europe patent resolution? Only time will tell. In the meantime, I would suggest that whining on this board will not help. We should also take responsibility for our actions. I remember Ron saying that he sold part of his shares at I believe $1.50 and I thought “you’re crazy….we are only getting started”. Like all of you, I only wish I could hit the reset button now. One thing is for sure, TPL, the BOD, and shareholders all feel the heat.May we all be so blessed to experience a happy ending. Thanks to so many on this board who have contributed over the years.