Update: OLPC Patent Threat Analyzed

The Boston Globe: One Laptop Per Child Orders Surge

“Despite slower-than-expected sales and tough competition from
commercial rivals, the One Laptop Per Child Foundation of Cambridge
is enjoying a surge of new orders.

“Nicholas Negroponte, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
professor who set up the foundation to provide low-cost laptops to
poor schoolchildren around the globe, said in an interview
yesterday that the government of Peru has signed a contract to
purchase 260,000 of the $188 machines. ‘It was notarized five
minutes ago,’ he said, adding that the Peruvian order will make it
easier for the foundation to sign up more countries to the program.
‘It’s momentum…'”

Complete Story

Groklaw: The Nigerian OLPC Dispute–How Does It Look?

“I thought you might like to see the Lagos Analysis Corp.’s
keyboard ‘patent’ allegedly infringed by OLPC. It turns out it’s
not a patent in the usual sense. It’s a design registration. Why
does that matter? Because what is registered is the way it *looks*,
not the way it *works*. Obviously, that has implications for
searching for prior art. I don’t know anything about Nigerian
patent law, but here’s how the USPTO FAQ explains the difference
between a utility patent and a design patent in the US
system…

“So, if looks are what count, would you like to see how it
looks? I have the certificate of registration from Nigeria…”

Complete
Story

Groklaw: LANCOR’s Adé Oyegbola Answers Groklaw’s
Questions About OLPC

“Adé Oyegbola, CEO of LANCOR, the company that says it is
suing OLPC, was gracious enough to answer some of the questions I
sent to the company and to the attorney representing it in the
threatened litigation. I’ll present the questions and answers,
along with some photographs he sent as attachments, as he presents
at least an outline of his case…”

Complete
Story