Written Press Releases

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brandon Shalton, brandon@fightthepatent.com

FightThePatent.com launched to help fight against broad patent (abuse) cases.

Austin, TX - (August 28, 2003) - FightThePatent.com launched on August 12,2003 with the fury and flurry of keystrokes by Brandon Shalton in response to companies like Acacia Research, SightSound, and USA Video that have broad patent claims over the concept of downloading/streaming audio/video files from a (web) server.

Any downloading of an audio or video file from a website has been claimed to be patented by the various companies and they are looking to "license" their patents to websites. The licensing terms vary but can be 1-2% of GROSS revenue.

"If you are a church website that has video clips of your pastor's sermons on your website, you are allegedly infringing on their patents. If you are a large company like CNN with audio and video clips, you are allegedly infringing on their patents. If you have a video clip of your puppy on your home page, you are allegedly infringing on their patents. If you think this is not possible, read their patents, and read the news clips of the lawsuits being filed by these companies on websites and universities to try and enforce their INTERPRETATION of what their patents mean", said Shalton.

Brandon, an internet entrepreneur and consultant, started FightThePatent.com to bring awareness to the various patent (abuse) cases and to help find prior art to invalidate the broad patent claims. Since the launch of the website, he has been contacting many of the "internet greats" that were the pioneers in developing the modern day Internet to ask for assistance in finding prior art. The search for "prior art means finding the existence of the "patented" idea at least a year before the patent filing date. All of the patents had a filing date of 1990 - 1991, well before the World Wide Web hit mainstream.

Shalton has also been contacting companies who have not been served with "information packets" or Cease & Desist letters to bring awareness and support for the companies who are defending themselves against the patent infringement claims.

His move to become an Internet Activist was something that he never expected to be, but was sparked to move from a place of complacency and apathy, to one of advocacy and activism.

Information about the patent (abuse) cases can be found at http://www.FightThePatent.com

For further information, contact: brandon@fightthepatent.com


copyright 2003, FightThePatent.com