PR: Bodog Goes to Battle with Patent Trolls

[Rollo]

I wonder if he sliped in (which one can do easily enough by boat, accross a land broder, or even come in with false docs)... or if he just booked a flight.

Anyway, I would still bet that he's in big trouble with the DOJ. Too many factors are against him. I'd almost argue that the DOJ would be guilty of dereliction of duty not to go after him if their goal is really to hit high profile targets. He's too high profile.

This is not a personal attack as I don't know hom from Adam, but I really want to see him get busted so we can get everything out in the open and challenge the whole thing on the merits in court. I'd like to see it pushed to the Supreme Court rather than see everyone cop plea bargins. At the moment, all CA is giving us are gratuitous videos of his luxuroius lifestyle or of him in hot tubs with topless Dominican, er, hired personal assistants. Not really what the online gaming indusry needs at this moment.

[lojo]

I'd like to see it pushed to the Supreme Court rather than see everyone cop plea bargins.

Amen, but I don't want to see anyone have to go through the ringer to get there... but if someone gets arrested, it may be their duty, if they can afford it, to take it all the way to the top. All this 'extraterritorial jurisdiction' crap has got to stop.

[jetset]

AYRE FIREPROOF IN PATENT LITIGATION?

Latest blog boasts suggests so

Bodog founder Calvin Ayre continued his blog war of words against 1st Technology this week, building on his earlier challenge to 1stTech CEO Dr. Scott Lewis to a boxing duel (see previous InfoPowa reports)

Ayre dismisses the 1st Technology threat to initiate a bench warrant if Ayre does not present himself before a Las Vegas court next month in the patent tussle that has resulted in Bodog being slapped with a $49 million default judgement and losing control of its domains.

In today's blog entry (25 October) Ayre writes: "After witnessing Bodog's ability to rapidly react to losing control of its domains, 1st Technology has issued a press release with a number of inaccuracies regarding the case and Ayre's actual legal involvement. Often contradicting the same points initially and legally argued by 1st Technology, the press release exposed a noticeable degree of desperation.

"It should be emphasized that Ayre has no connection to the company named in the lawsuit, Bodog Entertainment Group SA, a former supplier of data entry and other services including domain management, leading to Bodog.com's domains becoming involved in this inaccurately filed case. That company no longer holds rights for usage of the Bodog name.

"Currently undergoing a name change in light of this withdrawal, the now dormant and asset bare company was formally shut down as of September 2006, months prior to when 1st Technology claims to have properly served the legal notice.

"Furthermore, the fact that Ayre does not reside in the U.S. and thus would not be subject to any bench warrants, increasingly establishes the press release as an attempt to deface Ayre."

The Bodog chief additionally advises readers that his repeated "Patent Troll" taunts aimed at Lewis and his company are hitting home and have resulted in a personal email from Lewis with 'an informal request' to have the "Patent Troll" moniker withdrawn from any future references.

[jetset]

PATENT ENFORCER IN ACTION AGAIN

1st Technology files suit against seven more online gambling operators

Seven more online gambling companies find themselves undergoing the unwelcome patent attention of Dr. Scott Lewis and his 1st Technology company this week, with the costly Bodog dispute apparently at a stalemate.

The St. Louis law firm Simon Passanate has filed patent enforcement suits on behalf of 1st Technology in the Eastern District court of Missouri, citing four Costa Rican, two Norwegian and one Netherlands Antilles companies, according to a report from the online gambling information portal Gambling 911

The companies were named as Digital Gaming Solutions SA, Costa Rica International Sports, Action Poker Gaming Enterprises and SBG Global in Costa Rica; Playsafe Holding AS and eCom Enterprises in Norway and Digital Gaming Network, Ltd., in the Netherlands Antilles jurisdiction.

As was the case with Bodog and an earlier and now settled case against Sportingbet, the plaintiff alleges infringement of the 1st Technology US patent 5 564 001, issued in 2001 and entitled “Method and System for Interactively Transmitting Information Over A Network Which Requires Reduced Bandwidth.”

According to the 911 report, the plaintiff seeks an immediate halt to further patent infringement, treble damages and the impoundment and destruction of all infringing products.

Anthony G. Simon, representing 1st Technology commented: “1st Technology is a leading technology licensing company that invests considerable resources in developing its intellectual property and is dedicated to protecting and enforcing the same.” Simon's law firm has an impressive track record in intellectual property actions.

Dr. Lewis, who heads up 1st Technology, told 911: "Our initial goal here, as in all of our cases, is to reach swift and fair settlements that respect our intellectual property rights for companies with U.S. facing operations and utilize our patents...if we are unable to reach a swift resolution of the dispute, we move forward quickly and apply all of our resources to enforce all of our U.S. legal rights."

Dr. Lewis and his company have been embroiled in a long running and bitterly acrimonious dispute with the Bodog group and its erstwhile CEO Calvin Ayre in recent months (see previous InfoPowa reports) following the award of a $48 million default judgement against Bodog and the confiscation of its domains, forcing an extensive re-branding exercise by the online gambling group. Ayre has consistently claimed that service of the court documents was not effected.

[dominique]

US facing?

These are not all US facing!