SAN
FRANCISCO–A mysterious bidder paid $15.5 million in a bankruptcy court
auction of dozens of Internet-related patents–and then rushed out of
the courtroom.

An attorney representing the winning bidder (JGR Acquisitions)
dodged reporters’ questions as he rushed out of the court room at the
close of the auction.  A document the company filed with the court was
scarce on information as well, so JGR’s business, its owners, its
location and its plans for the newly acquired patents all remain
mysteries.

Some fear that the new owner of the patents will seek royalties for
technology that Commerce One had invited the industry to use freely. If
JGR is looking for a lucrative profit on the deal, it may seek upward
of $100 million in royalties or settlements, said intellectual-property
lawyer Lee Van Pelt, of Van Pelt & Yi. Companies with deep pockets,
such as Microsoft and IBM, are likely enforcement targets, he said.

Expect the first waves of the brewing storm early in the new year….- goto

originally Posted to cep.weblogger.com by David Soul on 12/29/04; 12:29:20 AM
in the IP section.

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