HN Theater @HNTheaterMonth

Also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8XknFl1l_8

He visits East Texas and shows that the 'offices' of the 'companies' that hold each patent are empty shells.

⬐ None

None

⬐ tedmiston

To save someone 8 minutes:

Tl;dr: He visits the listed offices of several dozen patent trolls in East Texas, including one directly across from the court house. Each one is empty with no sign of human activity. One has a secretary who claims the address is the accounting firm for those businesses. Then one person comes out to say that he is "a representative" of the businesses, and that those businesses "are based in East Texas" though. He recites one sentence about patents being property and then the video creator is kicked out.

⬐ Steko

How is this fundamentally different from our beloved SV startups organizing themselves as Delaware C-Corps?

⬐ caf

It's really not. They're both forms of jurisdictional arbitrage.

⬐ teleclimber

It's a similar legal maneuver but with very different outcomes.

In one case you're jut trying to set your company up to avoid paying too much taxes, in the other you're forcing the people you're trolling to a) travel far from home to defend themselves against your likely unfair lawsuit, and b) be at a disadvantage in front of a judge who is known to tilt things in your favor.

⬐ tedmiston

That's really more for investors than the startups themselves.

⬐ taf2

For starters, most people incorporate in delware whether they are in SV or not. It's just a better place for taxes. This is available to anyone who wants to incorporate. Does not require you are in the know or have a relationship with a judge...

⬐ markdown

Not really true anymore. I believe Wyoming is better for taxes these days. It's more about there being a good body of relevant established case law in Delaware.

⬐ yompers888

One is a parasite on anyone who would dare innovate, and the other is trying to avoid overpaying taxes.

⬐ whamlastxmas

Less to do with taxes, more to do with having a well established and understood regulations and legal system.

⬐ quest88

Ah yes. Former East Texan here. One company, Personal Web (http://www.personalweb.com/about.html), setup shop near the courthouse. They came to our school claiming they were going to be working on the next version of the web, web 3.0. They were recruiting for part-time only students. I asked why they chose east texas, and they said because they owned many patents wanted to be near the court that here's many technology patent cases.

1) The patent reason is a giveaway what they were really up to. 2) Why would you only hire part-time students? They were simply trying to build up a credible reputation in the community as a "small, local shop hiring locals" going against the big guys.

⬐ SZJX

Apparently the students are cheap and the work they do is menial thing that everybody can do.

⬐ ultramancool

Any chance you know anyone who got a position with them? Really curious what kind of make work projects they had people doing.

⬐ toomim

Wouldn't it be great if someone got a job with these companies, as a mole? Then snoop through their activities, and write it up as an exposé?