Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen Sues Google, Facebook, Etc., Etc.
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is suing Google, Facebook , Apple, AOL, YouTube, eBay and five other high-tech companies, claiming infringement of his patents for technology used for Internet pop-ups and suggestions for related reading.
Allen, 57, “sued much of Silicon Valley” on Friday, the Wall Street Journal reports, claiming his defunct company, Interval Research Corp., holds four patents that are violated by the defendants. Allen’s company is the plaintiff and it is represented by Susman Godfrey and Heim Payne and Chorush, the Recorder reports.
The suit was filed in federal court in Seattle. A Seattle Times column suggests the billionaire’s suit isn’t as much about money as it is about building his legacy. “Suing today’s most respected tech companies is an unusual path to take,” the column says. “Allen must have decided that it’s worth ruffling feathers today to secure a certain position in the history book.”
