> Bottom line: why, if the patents are "all that" has not one company ever, for years now, been smart enough to grab this monster mountain of gold for themselves and to stave off all the fines and and to keep their competition from becoming the king if the hill? Why?
I think this is an interesting question; one of those that I would like to revisit later when we know to check response. Below all my disclaimers, is my total guess...
I started very skeptical. but the technical bits ended up winning me over. SInce I have some experience with software and telephony, I'm inclined to feel like i understand aspects of this more than most; like the scope of this technology. If the patents are held as valid, they seem far-reaching and general - it will have broad applicability.
I don't have any particular confidence that VPLM will win, but i think they have some chance. I think it more depends on the PTAB/IPR, and probably Apple. One reason I'm willing to speculate (notice I did not say invest) is because of that upside being so high in relative terms, and in a way that I feel I can personally validate.
I am thoroughly disappointed in our patent system and it seems like 20 years ago this wouldn't even be a question. Perhaps the IPR process is needed, having handed out too many patents some of them need to be invalidated - but it still seems fundamentally flawed and I'm sure the big boys navigate the hell out of these scenarios while the little guys fight for their lives. PTAB/IPR process is a critical element of this case, I believe, which I have almost zero visibility on and which is obviously high stakes poker that I qualified to measure in any real way. I hope we get a fair shake @ the PTAB.
I'm prepared to lose all of my "bet", instantly.
My best current guess as to why the value of VPLM is disfavored in the market.
- people don't understand
- people assume its of of the pump n dumps we all know of
- people who do understand, also understand that the patent threat isn't real until the IPRs are over
- generally, I think the VOIP/patent world just missed it - whomever all the smart people were in that patent space - the big boys just flat missed it and assumed it was generalized tech. It's not. It's been patented.
- VPLM has been expensive, thinking they have the "goodies" and thus the potential buy-in would be too excessive without IPR validation.
There ya go. Flame away at my ridiculous stupidity. :)
