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March 28, 2008

Bum Trip

In an apparent non-sequitur, Avistar Communications is blaming Microsoft for its woes in having to slash its workforce by 25%. Avistar had hoped to license its patent portfolio to Microsoft. Ever the jester, Microsoft's response was to hoist a USPTO reexamination petard on all 29 of Avistar's patents. Supposedly, the PTO will only take up a reexam request given persuasive invalidity evidence. Avistar mewed it "remains hopeful of reaching a favorable resolution with Microsoft on licensing Avistar's intellectual property in the near future." For anyone with an inkling as to what Microsoft thinks of paying a "patent tax," that's positively psychedelic.

Posted by Patent Hawk at March 28, 2008 12:52 AM | Patents In Business