Public Patent Foundation, Organic Famers, and Seed Sellers Sue Monsanto to Protect Themselves from Patents on Genetically Modified Seed

Date:  Wed, 2011-03-30

NEW YORK- On behalf of 60 family farmers, seed businesses and organic agricultural organizations, the Public Patent foundation (PUBPAT) filed suit March 29th against Monsanto Company to challenge the chemical giant’s patents on genetically modified seed.

For more information this suit http://www.pubpat.org/osgatavmonsantofiled.htm

M·CAM, Inc. releases Patently Obvious® on Microsoft’s U.S. Patent No. 6,891,551

Date:  Fri, 2011-03-25

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – March 25, 2011 – M·CAM, Inc. released its Patently Obvious® report today on the patent holdings of Microsoft highlighted in Microsoft Corporation v. Barnes & Noble, Inc. et. al.

On March 21, 2011, Microsoft filed a lawsuit asserting the Barnes & Noble Nook e-readers infringe five of its patents. In addition to Barnes & Noble, the case names the manufacturers of the device, Inventec and Hon Hai Precision Industry, as well as Hon Hai’s subsidiary Foxconn. Many view this latest suit as a further attack by Microsoft on Google’s Android software, on which the Nook is based. In October 2010, Microsoft brought infringement claims against Motorola, a maker of Android-based smart phones.

Using the M·CAM DOORS™ analytic platform, an intellectual property analysis of Microsoft’s U.S. Patent No. 6,891,551 (hereafter ”˜551) was conducted in order to understand its strength and defensibility in the face of prior and concurrent art innovation. The innovation space surrounding the ”˜551 patent and its patent family members was examined to determine which patent or patents may provide alternatives to or alter the value of Microsoft’s holdings.

The question stands: are Microsoft’s infringement claims valid, or will potential weaknesses in its asserted patents backfire and injure Microsoft’s portfolio?

M·CAM’s Patently Obvious® is a weekly report providing visibility into potentially unconsidered alternatives, including art in the public domain, to patent holdings across a variety of technology areas.

M·CAM, Inc. is a global, full-service intellectual property and rights (IP&R) and intangible asset financial services firm. We provide the technical and financial systems that allow public and private markets to use IP&R and IA for regulated transactions in banking, securities, insurance, and public innovation investment and technology procurement. From our pioneering work in creating the world’s first standards-based innovation collateralization financial products for banking and securities to our work in grassroots innovator enablement and patent quality assurance programs, M·CAM provides the mechanism to balance the interests of public and commercial sectors to support and build thriving economies.

The M·CAM Patently Obvious® report on the Microsoft patent can be found HERE.

Chairman Scheduled to Speak at the Australia 21 Conference in April 2011

Samoa healers get world recognition for anti-AIDS compound

Date:  Wed, 2011-03-23

APIA, Samoa March 23, 2011 – Traditional healers of Samoa were recently acknowledged in a benefit-sharing agreement concerning the development of prostratin, an anti-AIDS compound derived from the Samoan native mamale tree.

Prostratin forces the HIV out of reservoirs in the body, thus allowing anti-retroviral drugs to attack it.

The bark of the mamala has been used by traditional healers to treat hepatitis, among other medicinal uses of the tree. This traditional knowledge guided researchers in their search for valuable therapeutic compounds.

Reportedly, revenues from the development of prostratin will be shared with the village where the compound was found and with the families of the healers who helped discover it.

Revenues will also be applied to further HIV/AIDS research. It is also proposed to license the prostratin research to drug makers so that the resultant drugs are made available to developing countries for free, at cost, or at a nominal profit.

M·CAM, Inc. releases Patently Obvious® on Motorola Mobility’s U.S. Patent No. US 6,304,714

Date:  Wed, 2011-03-16

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – March 16, 2011 – M·CAM, Inc. released its Patently Obvious® report today on the patent holdings of Motorola highlighted in Motorola Mobility, Inc. et. al. v. TiVo Inc.

On February 25, 2011, Motorola Mobility and its subsidiary General Instrument filed a patent infringement lawsuit against TiVo Inc. Motorola is alleging TiVo’s digital video recorders (DVRs) infringe three of its patents. The asserted patents were originally assigned to Imedia Corporation, whose assets were acquired by General Instrument, which was later acquired by Motorola.

Using the M·CAM DOORS™ analytic platform, an intellectual property analysis of Motorola’s U.S. Patent No. 6,304,714 (hereafter ”˜714) was conducted in order to understand its strength and defensibility in the face of prior and concurrent art innovation. The innovation space surrounding the ”˜714 patent and its patent family members was examined to determine which patent or patents may provide alternatives to or alter the value of Motorola’s holdings.

The question stands: are Motorola’s infringement claims against TiVo valid, or will potential weaknesses in its asserted patents backfire and injure Motorola’s portfolio?

M·CAM’s Patently Obvious® is a weekly report providing visibility into potentially unconsidered alternatives, including art in the public domain, to patent holdings across a variety of technology areas.

M·CAM, Inc. is a global, full-service intellectual property and rights (IP&R) and intangible asset financial services firm. We provide the technical and financial systems that allow public and private markets to use IP&R and IA for regulated transactions in banking, securities, insurance, and public innovation investment and technology procurement. From our pioneering work in creating the world’s first standards-based innovation collateralization financial products for banking and securities to our work in grassroots innovator enablement and patent quality assurance programs, M·CAM provides the mechanism to balance the interests of public and commercial sectors to support and build thriving economies.

The M·CAM Patently Obvious® report on the Motorola patent can be found HERE.

Global Innovation Commons Releases The Nuclear Reactor Cooling Commons

Date:  Wed, 2011-03-16

The Global Innovation Commons released a compilation of open source innovations in response to the nuclear crisis currently occurring in Japan.

From The Global Innovation Commons: On March 11 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake occurred near the east coast of Honshu, Japan. Not only did the earthquake produce a tsunami which struck the port city, but it has also caused a nuclear crisis for the country.

By March 13, cooling of the nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power station had begun to fail. When the initial earthquake hit, there was an immediate power outage causing the cooling systems to fail. The emergency diesel power generation system then began spraying the reactors with coolant, however, the emergency generator stopped when the tsunami hit the plant. A third and final safety system, converting steam traveling through pipes into water, turned on but the rods failed to cool down. As the reactors heated up they created steam and pressure which caused cracks in the reactors’ suppression chambers which contain radioactive water.

The combination of the radioactive water and hydrogen caused the explosions at the plant. Officials were forced to flood the No. 1 reactor at the plant with seawater after an explosion caused by hydrogen tore the outer wall and roof off the building housing the reactor. Shortly after, the No. 3 reactor began facing the same problems which forced the authorities to release vapor from the building in an attempt to lower pressure inside the reactor. However, the attempt was unsuccessful and eventually the reactor also exploded. The following day showed few signs of improvement with engineers struggling to cool the No. 2 reactor as well as fight fires at the No. 4 reactor.

All of the events caused radiation levels at the Fukshima Prefecture to reach dangerous and illegal levels. While radiation levels fluctuated back down below dangerous, there was a mandatory evacuation and radiation check of all people within 20 kilometers the plant.

We at The Global Innovation Commons honor those in Japan. We believe that open source solutions could provide assistance to the nuclear plants which have been affected by this disaster. We have compiled a list of all patent disclosures and open source technology which could best aid emergency crews in cooling down the nuclear power plants. The sets include cooling systems utilizing water, gas, liquid metals or molten salt as well as safety systems including reactor protection systems, emergency core cooling systems, and containment systems.

Learn More: http://www.globalinnovationcommons.org/discover/special-report/nuclear-reactor-cooling-commons

Global Innovation Commons Releases Japan Earthquake Response

Date:  Fri, 2011-03-11

March 11, 2011- The Global Innovation commons released a compilation of open source innovations in response to the earthquake and tsunami which hit the Pacific Ocean.

From The Global Innovation Commons: “A magnitude 8.9 earthquake occurred near the east coast of Honshu, Japan. The earthquake produced a tsunami which struck the port city of Sendai. Japan’s television network showed a massive surge of debris-filled water sweeping away buildings, cars and ships and reaching far inland. It has been reported that the tsunami, spawned by the largest earthquake in Japan’s history, produced over 30 foot waves, sweeping away boats, cars, homes, and people. Flooding has devastated most of the Japanese north eastern coast.

A tsunami warning was also extended across the Pacific to North and South America. Coastal areas in the Philippines and other parts of the Pacific were also evacuated ahead of the tsunami’s expected arrival.

We at The Global Innovation Commons believe that open source solutions could provide assistance to the areas that have been affected by this natural disaster. As an initial step, in an effort to raise global awareness and help prevent future loss of lives, we are making available a list of all patent disclosures and open source technology which could best aid major needs in the region. We ask anyone with knowledge or experience in the field of tsunami research and flood relief to join our discussion.

In the “Flood Relief” set is technology regarding, hydroelectric power, road reconstruction, shelter and building techniques, solar power, water filtration, and potable water.

In the “Tsunami Warning Systems” set is patented tsunami warning technology with the goal of bringing attention to any open source innovation.”

To learn more about the Global Innovation Commons and view the “Japan Earthquake Response” technology sets, please link HERE

UVA’s ESAVANA Website is Launched

Date:  Thu, 2011-03-10

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – March 10, 2011 – Earlier this week, the ESAVANA program launched their official website. ESAVANA is a program offered through the University of Virginia which focuses on the intersection of peoples, ethics, cultures, and the environment of eastern and southern Africa. This program affords University of Virginia students, in combination with foreign scholars, the opportunity to experience a course of study at home and abroad. More information regarding the ESAVANA program can be found HERE.

Dr. David Martin, Founder and Chairman of M·CAM, Inc. was invited to speak during the January term event. The link to his entire video presentation can be found HERE and a short interview offered during the program can be viewed in HERE.

M·CAM, Inc. releases Patently Obvious® on Solannex, Inc.’s U.S. Patent No. 7,635,810

Date:  Thu, 2011-02-24

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – February 24, 2011 – M·CAM, Inc. released its Patently Obvious® report today on the patent holdings of Solannex highlighted in Solannex, Inc. v. MiaSolé, Inc.

On January 11, 2011 Solannex, Inc. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against MiaSolé, Inc. The asserted patent, U.S 7,635,810 (hereafter ”˜810), claims an interconnected grid structure for integrated solar arrays. Solannex claims that representatives from MiaSolé met with Dr. Daniel Luch, the listed inventor of the ”˜810 patent, and soon after incorporated similar technology into two patent applications of their own.

Using the M·CAM DOORS™ analytic platform, an intellectual property analysis of Solannex’s U.S. Patent No. 7,635,810 was conducted in order to understand its strength and defensibility in the face of prior and concurrent art innovation. The innovation space surrounding the ”˜810 patent and its patent family members was examined to determine which patent or patents may provide alternatives to or alter the value of Solannex’s holdings.

The question stands: are Solannex’s infringement claims against MiaSolé valid, or will potential weaknesses in its asserted patents backfire and injure Solannex’s portfolio?

M·CAM’s Patently Obvious® is a weekly report providing visibility into potentially unconsidered alternatives, including art in the public domain, to patent holdings across a variety of technology areas.

M·CAM, Inc. is a global, full-service intellectual property and rights (IP&R) and intangible asset financial services firm. We provide the technical and financial systems that allow public and private markets to use IP&R and IA for regulated transactions in banking, securities, insurance, and public innovation investment and technology procurement. From our pioneering work in creating the world’s first standards-based innovation collateralization financial products for banking and securities to our work in grassroots innovator enablement and patent quality assurance programs, M·CAM provides the mechanism to balance the interests of public and commercial sectors to support and build thriving economies.

The M·CAM Patently Obvious® report on the Solannex patent can be found HERE.

M·CAM, Inc. Releases Media Production Entitled “This is M·CAM”

Date:  Tue, 2011-02-22

Do you ever find yourself wondering, “What exactly does M·CAM do?” M·CAM, Inc. has officially released an introductory video production which provides an overview of our practices. M·CAM’s work ranges from creating the world’s first innovation collateralization financial products for banking and securities to committed engagement in grassroots innovator enablement. M·CAM provides the means to balance the interests of both public and commercial sectors in order to sustain and construct flourishing economies throughout the world. To view the video, please click HERE.

If you would like more information regarding M·CAM, Inc, please inquire info@m-cam.com.

M·CAM Chairman Joins Conversation on Leadership Excellence and Practice at YPO Global Leadership Summit

Date:  Tue, 2011-02-15

Denver. Dr. David Martin is contributing to a conversation led by Simon Preston and Neale Godfrey to discuss how global business leaders can connect personal choices to understanding their role in addressing global challenges at this year’s YPO Global Leadership Summit in Denver.

“Each year, young business leaders from all over the world gather for the YPO Global Leadership Summit. During the two-day event, approximately 2,000 CEOs and industry leaders from six continents convene with world-renowned speakers and resources to address key issues in business, politics, philanthropy and humanities.”

“The 2011 YPO Global Leadership Summit will continue this tradition in Denver, Colorado, as participants resolve to “Rise Above” and reach new heights of leadership excellence while focusing on the latest developments in globalization, the role of visionary leadership, and global political and social conflicts.”

Meeting at the NDIC

Date:  Tue, 2011-02-15

Ulaanbaatar – Ms. D. Nergui attends the second meeting of the Working Group formed to develop the Technology Program.

The WG has been established by the Decree of the President of Mongolia on 25 January 2011.

Meeting at MCC/MCA

Date:  Mon, 2011-02-14

Ulaanbaatar – CEO meets with Mr. Burak C. Inanc, Deputy Resident Country Director for Mongolia, MCC and Mr. Mangal, Director, Clean Air project, MCA Mongolia today.

Meeting with new technology creator

Date:  Fri, 2011-02-11

Ulaanbaatar – Ms. D. Nergui meets with Mr. Santsar, who created a technology that can help to increase energy and heat efficiency and reduce air pollution. This meeting was also attended by two other M-ICP staff.

M·CAM, Inc. releases Patently Obvious™ on Microsoft Corporation’s U.S. Patent No. 5,758,258

Date:  Wed, 2011-02-09

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – February 9, 2011 – M·CAM, Inc. released its Patently Obvious™ report today on the patent holdings of Microsoft highlighted in Microsoft Corporation v. TiVo Inc.

On January 24, 2011, Microsoft accused TiVo, Inc. of infringement of four of its patents related to television set-top box software in two separate settings. A lawsuit in the Western District of Washington was filed concurrently with an ITC complaint seeking to prevent TiVo from importing set-top boxes and DVRs. Microsoft is accusing TiVo of using technology covered by the asserted Microsoft patents in its TiVo Premiere XL, TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL products.

These allegations are the latest barrage in an ongoing legal battle between the two companies. Microsoft was brought in as an intervenor by AT&T in an infringement case filed by TiVo in August of 2009. Microsoft was implicated in the suit as the AT&T boxes accused of infringing TiVo’s patents run Microsoft’s Mediaroom software, of which AT&T is the largest consumer. Possibly sensing a serious threat to its business, Microsoft filed a suit of its own in January of 2010, claiming TiVo’s boxes infringed on two of its patents.

Using the M·CAM DOORS™ analytic platform, an intellectual property analysis of the ”˜258 patent was conducted in order to understand its strength and defensibility in the face of prior and concurrent art innovation. The innovation space surrounding the ”˜258 patent and its patent family members was examined to determine which patent or patents may provide alternatives to or alter the value of Microsoft’s holdings.

The question stands: are Microsoft’s infringement claims against TiVo valid, or will potential weaknesses in its asserted patents backfire and injure Microsoft’s portfolio?

M·CAM’s Patently Obvious™ is a weekly report providing visibility into potentially unconsidered alternatives, including art in the public domain, to patent holdings across a variety of technology areas.

M·CAM, Inc. is a global, full-service intellectual property and rights (IP&R) and intangible asset financial services firm. We provide the technical and financial systems that allow public and private markets to use IP&R and IA for regulated transactions in banking, securities, insurance, and public innovation investment and technology procurement. From our pioneering work in creating the world’s first standards-based innovation collateralization financial products for banking and securities to our work in grassroots innovator enablement and patent quality assurance programs, M·CAM provides the mechanism to balance the interests of public and commercial sectors to support and build thriving economies.

The M·CAM Patently Obvious™ report on the Microsoft patent can be found HERE.

MGBC BOD meeting

Date:  Wed, 2011-02-09

Ulaanbaatar – Ms. D. Nergui attends the Mongolia Green Building Council Board meeting held in Central tower today. The MGBC which is a newly established NGO is aiming to create a system of green building rating and certification, accelerate an advocacy and training on the importance of green building and start implementing number of projects and programs that can increase energy and heat efficiency, reduction of air pollution, including CO2 emission towards the creation of comfortable and healthy living and working environment.

M·CAM, Inc. releases Patently Obvious™ on Sharp Corporation’s U.S. Patent No. 7,057,689

Date:  Fri, 2011-02-04

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – February 4, 2011 – M·CAM, Inc. released its Patently Obvious™ report today on the patent holdings of Sharp Corporation highlighted in Sharp Corporation v. AU Optronics Corp. et al.

On January 24, 2011, Sharp filed two complaints claiming infringement of seven of its LCD-related patents. A lawsuit was filed in Delaware against AU Optronics Corp. and a complaint was filed with the ITC naming AU Optronics, BenQ Corp., Haier Group, LG Electronics, SANYO Electric Co., TCL Corp. and VIZIO, Inc. Sharp has previously tested the litigation waters with one of these seven properties: U.S. Pat. No. 7,057,689 (hereafter ”˜689). In August 2007, Sharp filed an infringement claim in the Eastern District of Texas against Samsung. The case was finally settled outside of court in February 2010, and Sharp has apparently decided to recycle its ammunition in these new complaints.

Using the M·CAM DOORS™ analytic platform, an intellectual property analysis of the ”˜689 patent was conducted in order to understand its strength and defensibility in the face of prior and concurrent art innovation. The innovation space surrounding the ”˜689 patent and its patent family members was examined to determine which patent or patents may provide alternatives to or alter the value of Sharp’s holdings.

The question stands: are Sharp’s infringement claims valid, or will potential weaknesses in its asserted patents backfire and injure Sharp’s portfolio?

M·CAM’s Patently Obvious™ is a weekly report providing visibility into potentially unconsidered alternatives, including art in the public domain, to patent holdings across a variety of technology areas.

M·CAM, Inc. is a global, full-service intellectual property and rights (IP&R) and intangible asset financial services firm. We provide the technical and financial systems that allow public and private markets to use IP&R and IA for regulated transactions in banking, securities, insurance, and public innovation investment and technology procurement. From our pioneering work in creating the world’s first standards-based innovation collateralization financial products for banking and securities to our work in grassroots innovator enablement and patent quality assurance programs, M·CAM provides the mechanism to balance the interests of public and commercial sectors to support and build thriving economies.

The M·CAM Patently Obvious™ report on the Sharp patent can be found HERE.

Meeting on TCO/Offsets

Date:  Tue, 2011-02-01

Ulaanbaatar – CEO meets with S. Erdene, MP today. The main topic of discussion was about the possibility of creation of foundation for TCO/Offset introduction in Mongolia which can help the country to increase its technology capacity and more investment opportunities in diverse economic sectors.

M·CAM, Inc. releases Patently Obvious™ on Walker Digital’s U.S. Patent No. 6,425,828

Date:  Thu, 2011-01-27

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – January 27, 2011 – M·CAM, Inc. released its Patently Obvious™ report today on the patent holdings of Walker Digital highlighted in Walker Digital LLC v. Activision Inc. et. al.

On January 3, 2011, Walker Digital, an IP focused company well known for cases against Microsoft and Facebook, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Zynga, Activision and the latter’s subsidiary Blizzard Entertainment. The asserted patent, U.S 6,425,828 (hereafter ”˜828), claims a method for conducting a networked electronic tournament for a plurality of players and storing player information for use in subsequent sessions. Zynga (FarmVille), Activision (Call of Duty and Guitar Hero) and Blizzard (World of Warcraft) are giants in the online gaming industry. Though many of the games developed by these companies offer or require unique player accounts, they do not seem to fall under the standard definition of a tournament.

Using the M·CAM DOORS™ analytic platform, an intellectual property analysis of the ”˜828 patent was conducted in order to understand its strength and defensibility in the face of prior and concurrent art innovation. The innovation space surrounding the ”˜828 patent and its patent family members was examined to determine which patent or patents may provide alternatives to or alter the value of Walker Digital’s holdings.

The question stands: are Walker Digital’s infringement claims against these gaming companies valid, or will potential weaknesses in its asserted patent backfire and injure Walker Digital’s portfolio?

M·CAM’s Patently Obvious™ is a weekly report providing visibility into potentially unconsidered alternatives, including art in the public domain, to patent holdings across a variety of technology areas.

M·CAM, Inc. is a global, full-service intellectual property and rights (IP&R) and intangible asset financial services firm. We provide the technical and financial systems that allow public and private markets to use IP&R and IA for regulated transactions in banking, securities, insurance, and public innovation investment and technology procurement. From our pioneering work in creating the world’s first standards-based innovation collateralization financial products for banking and securities to our work in grassroots innovator enablement and patent quality assurance programs, M·CAM provides the mechanism to balance the interests of public and commercial sectors to support and build thriving economies.

The M·CAM Patently Obvious™ report on the Walker Digital patent can be found HERE.

M·CAM, Inc. releases Patently Obvious™ on Kolomoki Mounds’ U.S. Patent No. 6,370,535

Date:  Thu, 2011-01-20

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – January 20, 2011 – M·CAM, Inc. released its Patently Obvious™ report today on the patent holdings of Kolomoki Mounds highlighted in Gooseberry Natural Resources LLC v. Advance Magazine Publishers Inc et al.

In June of 2010, a company going by the name of Gooseberry Natural Resources LLC initiated patent infringement lawsuits against several small online press release services, claiming that they infringed on their patented method of generating a press release online. The independent defendants attempted to fight back, pointing out a number of prior art examples on the web from before the patent was ever filed. Interestingly, this lawsuit was eventually voluntarily dismissed by the plaintiff by the end of 2010: having tested the waters of patent litigation, Gooseberry now set its sights on bigger targets.

On December 1, 2010, Gooseberry Natural Resources initiated a patent infringement lawsuit using the same patent against larger online news services including Digg, Fark, TechCrunch, Newsvine, and Yahoo, alleging infringement of its “system and method for structured news release generation and distribution.”

Using the M·CAM DOORS™ software platform, the innovation space surrounding U.S. Patent No. 6,370,535 was examined in order to understand its strength and defensibility in the face of prior and concurrent art innovations.

M·CAM’s Patently Obvious™ is a weekly report providing visibility into potentially unconsidered alternatives, including art in the public domain, to patent holdings across a variety of technology areas.

M·CAM, Inc. is a global, full-service intellectual property and rights (IP&R) and intangible asset financial services firm. We provide the technical and financial systems that allow public and private markets to use IP&R and IA for regulated transactions in banking, securities, insurance, and public innovation investment and technology procurement. From our pioneering work in creating the world’s first standards-based innovation collateralization financial products for banking and securities to our work in grassroots innovator enablement and patent quality assurance programs, M·CAM provides the mechanism to balance the interests of public and commercial sectors to support and build thriving economies.

The M·CAM Patently Obvious™ report on the Kolomoki Mounds patent can be read here