A familiar story

...Commenting on recent developments, Ellenthal stated, “We are disappointed that after reaching out to so many companies in an effort to secure reasonable licenses, we were consistently told that without litigation our requests would not be taken seriously. Few inventors can bear the costs of patent lawsuits and most large companies know they can take advantage of smaller inventors who cannot afford the millions of dollars that just one patent lawsuit can cost. At Walker Digital, we don’t believe that less innovation or more litigation serves anyone’s long-term interests. However, the unwillingness of those companies using our property to enter into joint commercial agreements has forced us to take an action that we had hoped to avoid. Indeed, ironically and unfortunately, our efforts to avoid litigation have been met, in some cases, with lawsuits filed against us just because we sent letters asking companies whether they would be willing to license some of our patented inventions.”

IP Navigation Group is acting as Walker Digital’s intellectual property advisor. “At the end of the day, a patent is a government granted property right that simply permits the owner to exclude others from copying his invention. We contacted these companies and urged them to come to the table. Some have been sitting down with us and we will continue to work with them outside the courtroom. But dozens of companies have responded with silence, indifference, delay or worse yet, by taking legal action against Walker Digital. Perhaps now we can start good faith negotiations. Walker Digital desires to license its intellectual property and not to prolong the legal process,” stated Erich Spangenberg, CEO of IPNav. “This is a plain and simple case of some companies taking advantage of the high costs and built-in delays of the U.S. legal system with their refusal to negotiate. We are committed to help protect Walker Digital’s intellectual property through the only means available.”

Mr. Walker concluded: “Our goals are two-fold. Obviously we want to realize a fair return on the use of our property. Who would want any less? But we also hope this effort will contribute to the process of moving the asset class of patents and Intellectual Property out of the stone age of litigation and into an efficient market which, in the end, would benefit America and its economy.”

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110412006137/en/Walker-Digital-Files-Lawsuits-Patent-Dispute