I'm not seeing the conspiracy, sorry. What evidence is there that MS selling patents to AST was part of an evil plan? AIUI, AST (Allied Security Trust) isn't known as a patent troll.
AST members include: Verizon, Cisco, Google, Telefon AB L.M., Ericsson, HP. Source:
If "not inviting" OIN was part of the conspiracy, surely a group that included Google shouldn't have been included either.
AST on their website even assert that they don't assert patents against infringers:
> Will AST assert these patents against infringers?
> No. The purpose of AST is to provide the freedom to sell products and cost reduction. Member companies who wish to participate in a particular patent purchase are granted a worldwide non-exclusive patent license.
I don't see the conspiracy either. They could have sold those patents privately, not with a bid.
What I think happened is that Microsoft wanted some quick money out of patents they aren't using anyway (we are in an economic crisis after all), and so they organized a bid failing to invite OIN ... and maybe they did that such that OIN doesn't get them (the patents being acquired by a patent troll being the ideal scenario).
But that's not an "evil conspiracy". And I'm getting pretty tired of Groklaw and FSF crying wolf every time MS farts.
As they say, your real enemies are the ones you hate. You want to change the status quo? Competition and collaboration are the best tools you have. Not FUD.
The word "evil" gets bandied around far too easily, but if I'm reading you right then you acknowledge that Microsoft may have planned to feed ammunition to patent trolls, you just dispute whether that is "evil" or just "good business".
I'd say it's a pretty shitty thing to do and, while you can't prove what the motive was, Microsoft has a history of doing equally shitty things to damage its competitors (and collaborators!).
I've only just heard of AST but from what I've read they buy patents, make sure their members have appropriate licences, and then sell them on.
If they sell them to patent trolls, which I don't know if they do but seems quite likely, then their members are protected, but no-one else is.
OIN appear to hold onto the patents for defensive use, but also taking them out of play for trolls.
On the other hand, the head of AST seems to also run a business based on providing information to fight back against patent trolls (PatentFreedom) so it would be a bit of a poacher/gamekeeper move for them to sell to trolls, particularly after they called out IntellectualVentures for doing the same.
But maybe patent freedom (for those who can afford it) is their real business plan. I'm not saying that's "evil" but it doesn't do anything to protect anyone who's not playing the game in the same way patent reform would, and at the same time reduces the need for patent reform amongst the biggest companies.
AST members include: Verizon, Cisco, Google, Telefon AB L.M., Ericsson, HP. Source:
http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/patent/allied-secur...
If "not inviting" OIN was part of the conspiracy, surely a group that included Google shouldn't have been included either.
AST on their website even assert that they don't assert patents against infringers:
> Will AST assert these patents against infringers?
> No. The purpose of AST is to provide the freedom to sell products and cost reduction. Member companies who wish to participate in a particular patent purchase are granted a worldwide non-exclusive patent license.
Source: http://www.alliedsecuritytrust.com/q-and-a.html
This is a non-story.