Wow, this is a classic example of the quagmire (love that word) that the legal system(s) in the US (and elsewhere) has become. Legal action in the States as an example has gotten to a level where, if they don’t turn pro it will be an Olympic event next time.
This story makes me stare blankly.
From InfoWorld:
Lagos Analysis Corp., or Lancor, filed the lawsuit Thursday in the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division in Nigeria, where the company owns a patent for a four shift-key keyboard, said Adé Oyegbola, Lancor’s CEO.
OLPC illegally reverse-engineered the company’s patented keyboard, which, with its four-shift keys, allows computers to better handle multiple languages, Oyegbola said. Lancor wants the Nigerian court to award “substantial” damages and issue a permanent injunction to prevent OLPC from manufacturing and selling its XO laptop.
Oyegbola said he hopes Lancor can reach a settlement with OLPC before the Nigerian court issues an injunction. OLPC could have “sought a license and gotten it for a minimal fee,” he said. “We’re hoping … they can come to their senses, and we sit down and come to a reasonable settlement.”
Lancor, based in Natick, Massachusetts, has tried to reach a settlement with OLPC but did not get a “reasonable response” from the project, Oyegbola said.
OLPC released a statement, saying it has not yet seen the legal filings in the case. “OLPC has the utmost respect for the rights of intellectual property owners,” Robert Fadel, OLPC director of finance and operations, said in the statement. “To OLPC’s knowledge, all of the intellectual property used in the XO Laptop is either owned by OLPC or properly licensed. Until we have a copy of the claim and have had time to review it, we will not be commenting further on the matter.”
This is the OLPC that they are suing not some multinational corp with deep pockets.
Help support OLPC and donate a laptop.
[tags]OLPC, OLPC Sued, Lagos Analysis Corp[/tags]
