Linksys announces WRT160NL Linux-powered media sharing router

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Yeah, we hate patent trolls as much as anyone, but the Wall Street Journal says that a group of major tech companies have created a patent shield organization to fend off trolls that sounds to us like it'll eventually just be an even worse troll. The foundation, called the Allied Security Trust, will take $250,000 in buy-in money and $5M in escrow from member companies -- Verizon, Google, Ericsson, HP, and Cisco are apparently the founding corporations -- and use it to buy up patents to prevent future litigation. After a member company buys a patent, it will grant itself a non-exclusive license and sell it to AST, which will then license it to the other members. Of course, that means that AST will eventually own a large number of patents on common technology, which means it could very well become a aggressive patent litigant itself. Not to worry, says AST CEO Brian Hinman: the group will "never be an enforcement vehicle," and it isn't anyone's intention to "make money on the transactions." Sure, sure -- but any time players this big start putting this much potential cash on the line, we're not going to take random promises at face value. See you in Marshall, boys.
As WiMax-powered 4G networks remain the stuff of holding companies and litigation, a group of providers have gotten together to form an (evil?) alliance that they say will help speed up both development and deployment. In other words, they want Qualcomm on board, which holds the juiciest 4G patents. The Open Patent Alliance (OPA) includes Intel, the recently-formed Clearwire, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Samsung, and Sprint. Similar to the Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, NextWave Wireless, Nokia Siemens Networks, Sony Ericsson coalition that is backing Long Term Evolution, this WiMAX group looks poised to take on Qualcomm with some serious collective patents, boardroom politics, and investor cash. Meanwhile, Qualcomm is sitting in the corner saying, "We already have 4G, and it's very nice." This should be interesting. Stay tuned.





