10-21-2003, 07:29 PM
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Too lazy to set a custom title
Industry Role:
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: God's right hand
Posts: 19,789
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Quote:
Originally posted by FightThisPatent
For those that have been observing the pledge counter, it has come along way since launching the pledge drive 3 weeks ago.
A pledge to support Fight The Patent Foundation helps to execute in the following ways (the following were questions asked of me and my answers):
Who are you responsible too?
Right now, only to myself... with Fight the Patent Foundation, it would be a 501c3 non-profit organization with charters and bylaws, etc.
A Board of Directors will be built up to include highly visible tech/internet leaders. An advisory board will be judging which kinds of cases to take on, actions, etc.
At that point, I am responsible to the Board of Directors.
How do we know the money is being used for what you say it is?
Sounds like a credibility issue question. If $250K is pledged and I start asking for that money to be converted to donations, yes, it is a possibility I could just run away with the money. Having formed a corporation and such still doesn't give an credibility, since it is easy to setup a bogus or shell of a corporation.
But the real possibility, is that people who do know me, will be the ones that do the vouching..already have some listed on my Endorsements page, but when it comes to actually writing the check or paying by credit card, I will first be able to show the charter, the bylaws, the incorporation papers and the people who would vouch for my integrity.
Right now, a pledge does not count as money, so yes, it's easy to give a pledge, but when the time comes to collect, I am sure the questions of credibility will be asked..and i am prepared to present that now, as well as later.
What is the money being spent on?
RIght now, I am not collecting any money, spending my own money (and losing income by not doing my consulting work) by doing this effort of advocacy.
WHEN the goal is reached, and the money is collected, the money gets spent this way:
-Very modest salary for me to do this full time (3k/month)
-Pay for Director's insurance and attract Board of Directors
-Hire some patent attorney to get involved
-Contract with a developer to build out the Prior Art search system where people can contribute leads and earn points for prizes
-Solicit mainstream companies for additional donations
-Attract Media attention
-Help any webmaster who gets served with a lawsuit in providing defense attorneys, prior art searches and expert witnesses through the 'pay it forward' concept.
-insert more stuff here.
In addition to answering a multitude of webmasters emails to me, and hours of phone calls for those wondering what they should do since receiving their 2nd or 3rd letter, I have also continued to search for more prior art.. afterall, Acacia is just one case to deal with, there are many more.
I also spend alot of time on various boards to help answer questions and concerns in relation to the Acacia issue, as well as drumming up support for Fight the Patent Foundation.
To learn more about FTPF, visit http://www.FightThePatent.com/go
Fight the Patent!
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No, I asked you what you've done to fight acacia, not what you'vbe done to collect money.
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I'm not a dinosaur, I'm a crocodile. I've seen dinosaurs come and go and I'm left unimpressed.
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