The Patent Scam (2017) User Reviews

Forget the 1* review from another user...

[rjsdavis1 · 7/10 · 28 November 2017]

This is an interesting and worthwhile watch. I'd actually give it a 6.5, but rounded up...

The show does not state that all patent infringement claims are frivolous. It states that a very large and significant proportion of them are, and that a very significant proportion of them are generated by shell corporations (LLC's typically), from empty offices, and mostly in some small towns in East Texas.

It also states that in a significant number of cases brought, the Judge's are relations (fathers) of the two lawyers controlling the lawsuits! These appear to be proved facts.

Honestly, the muck that is uncovered here is eye-watering. And dreadful. I feel extremely sorry for these mid-size companies that are being bled dry by the leeches that seek to sue and litigate for everything.

Oh, and Peter Wolf. Just wait till you watch his interview. I cannot believe that that individual had the gall to agree to be interviewed and said what he said. I'm shaking my head in disbelief at the content of his interview - listen carefully to him; his patent was eventually quashed but he kept all of the "licensing" cash that he bled out of the photographers before he was eventually found out.

The world really is full of scumbags. Watch this well-made amateur film effort to see some of them.

Informative documentary

[tripysix · 8/10 · 23 June 2021]

I knew nothing about this despicable practice of patent trolls. Now I do. This documentary is an eye opener. A topic to look out for if you are an entrepreneur or looking to start a business. You can fall victim to these trolls at any time. It's terrible how it plays out when you are victimized. A corrupt system of lawyers and judges. Painfull to watch.

Corruption!

[panta-4 · 7/10 · 5 July 2021]

Austin Meyer was a victim of a patent troll... so he made a documentary to show us all many challenges frivolous patent litigation poses for business owners and entrepreneurs!

The steps are simple: Non-practicing entities (NPEs) or "patent trolls", purchase vague, low quality patents - many of which should never have been granted in the first place - to claim ownership of commonly-used ideas or business methods such as searching for something using a computer. These low lives use corrupted judges and their lawyer sons in one of the Eastern Districts of Texas to threaten litigation against businesses, particularly small and medium sized businesses they know will not have the funding to endure a lengthy legal battle.

The truth is out there... sadly in 4 years from the documentary none of the politicians did anything... but siding with the lawyers who obviously have deep pockets!

Austin Meyer, thank you!

A must see

[The_Boxing_Cat · 10/10 · 20 April 2018]

The corrupt lawyers father/son tag team in East Texas has taken the American Dream and turned it into a nightmare.

Very enlightening documentary, a good watch and well made

[malacite-98560 · 9/10 · 29 November 2017]

This I found to be a really good amateur documentary. It highlights the problems of the capitalist system very clearly. Lawyers and the legal system squeezing money from normal businesses trying to create new innovative products that ultimately help society. A must watch for everyone!

Great docu, everyone should see, ignore the one star fake review

[ImNotFromEarth · 15 December 2017]

Usually fake ratings try to push the overall score higher for a crappy movie, but it's opposite this time. The one star reviewer has only reviewed one movie in his entire existence, he seems to have created an account for the sole purpose of giving this movie the lowest rating possible, and spent a lot of time with it, it's almost as if that person has a vested interest in what he's doing.

If you've heard of the faulty patent system and wondered what that's all about, this movie spells it out plainly, and doesn't sugar coat anything.

Good job for a low budget docu

[pacocharte · 9/10 · 4 July 2021]

Ignore the 1-star review. Although it's now 2021 (Harry Reid retired in 2015) and many states have passed legislation as well as Congress, the patent scam continues. The one-star reviewer sounds to me like the patent troll lawyer interviewed toward the end of the film who demanded "names and addresses" of any business or business owner who was driven out of business, completely ignoring the NDA that they are almost always forced to sign barring them from talking about the terms at all.

The fact of the matter is that in East Texas at the time of filming this movie, there were two father-son teams where the fathers were judges and the sons were lawyers who brought patent infringement suits for ridiculous patents held by themselves in layers of shell companies ostensibly located in vacant office buildings just steps from the courthouse. This is corruption, American style. Period. It's well cloaked in the appearance of legal legitimacy, but it's corruption nonetheless.

One-star reviewer attempts to differentiate between a patent being filed initially in 2001 vs. 2010 on a METHOD, not a technology. This person misses the point entirely, and likely purposely so. The patent in question was not for a device or technology but a method and vague idea of a phone that could also send and display video. This was already being conceived by numerous companies that would actually end up bringing the technology to the public, but the patent was held by a non-practicing entity, some rando dude in Japan for the express purpose of making money by suing companies for patent infringement.

One-star reviewer clearly has a vested interest in this topic and likely a conflicted one at that, given that there are 9 more stars with which to provide a rating. One-star smacks of an attempt to artificially drive down the overall rating rather than a good faith review with legitimate criticisms.

Although this film is now almost 4 years old, it is recommended viewing for those wishing to learn how corruption not only works, but is legitimized in the USA. 9/10 for an excellent effort by a first-time filmmaker.

Everyone should watch this film!

[kwallsea · 10/10 · 26 November 2017]

Everyone should watch this. It is such a travesty of justice that ruins small businesses and innocent people's lives purely to line the pockets of unethical lawyers and judges hiding behind fake shell companies in empty offices most all of which are located in East Texas. This impacts every American. Please watch and let's do something about it!

Hits the nail in head

[Vikky0007 · 10/10 · 30 December 2017]

Shows exactly what is wrong with today's patent laws and filing. Patent trolls are real and they can get you anywhere, specially if you are in the growth stage. Ridiculous state of the matter. I agree wit the end abstract remarks. Those changes are needed. Good job.

Lack of research and understanding

[aecolu · 1/10 · 4 November 2017]

It doesn't seem the show had much research. It is true patent trolls are a big issue and it is something that needs to be addressed. The key issue is when the patent office gives an allowance to a patent application that should not have been allowed. Patent claims must be novel and not obvious. The other problem is the burden of the people who are being sued in being the ones that need to show the invalidity of the patents.

The show begins with the idea of shoe polishing as a patent being granted and the argument the show gives is that there is no patent on it. This is not true. If you can find shoe polishing in any literature whether it'd be novels, movies, or a news article then the patent claim fails the test and a patent cannot be granted.

The show later then talks about the host being sued and shows a red box of the preamble of a claim and argues that's what the company suing him owns in their patent and it's so basic. A preamble is not the property of the person holding the patent, it is in fact prior art, it is what follows the preamble that is the property of the patent holder. The show misdirects viewers by showing you something that obviously shouldn't have received a patent, and which it wasn't. The red box are did not get patented, it is the following paragraphs after the word "comprising".

Then the show goes on to US 6370535 and says they own the patent to "red box area" once again, rather than the claim. A look up of the patent and the independent claim you see it is much more specific than what the show's host claims. The host shows a basic simplified example of the patent and claims they own the right to anything of such, but when really they own the right to something much more specific.

Throughout the show they argue patents are bad that you shouldn't be able to own an idea. This is a terrible notion. Lots of start-ups would be in danger of big companies simply copying their idea and squeezing them out if it was not for patents. The problem is frivolous patents.

This show talks about an important problem in America, but I cannot give it more than 4 out of 10 because this is more like an YouTube rant by someone getting sued rather than an actual documentary that is well researched and well debated. It is heavily one-sided and misrepresented. In order to win the debate they present frivolous patents to be ridiculous frivolous by using red-boxes to highlight areas of more basic ideas that the patent holder does not own the right to, in an attempt the show shows the incompetency of the patent office. If the show had been true and shown actual patent claims and not just highlighting the preamble they will find it not as easy in debating whether the idea is novel or not, especially since a lot of these patents are almost 20 years old and soon to be expired.

In another example the show talks about US 7778664, and first misdirects the viewers into thinking the patent was filed for in 2010 by focusing on the said date, when the date of filing is 2001. Secondly the host claims the patent gave the person claim over the rights to a telephone. When in reality this is a patent claim with priority in 2001 for a digital phone that you can make a video call with that also shows an image of yourself during the video call as well as blocks incoming calls of anyone on a blocked list. But the host claims the patent gave the inventor the rights to telephones in general, and that this happened in 2010.

A clear warning about dangerous scam running amok

[Database_Man · 10/10 · 29 June 2021]

The documentary exposes the real scam of patent trolls. I would say, most or even all IT companies are under the threat of the patent troll lawyers, without even realizing that.

The documentary identifies real lawyers and web sites - which are fully functional as of today, June 29, 2021.

There is no simple remedy from that threat, because the lawyers use loopholes in the law, rather than breaking the law.

Watch the movie, google Patent Trolls and get basic info on what to do when you get their letters.

A MUST SEE, Interesting

[karleriley · 9/10 · 30 January 2020]

This man from SC, well educated and business savey took a lot of time to get to the bottom of an interesting issue that is impacting EVERY consumer for sure, but many business as well and our corrupt political system and antiquated legal system is protecting the wrong people, can you believe it? Anyone with some common sense needs to see this and we need to find a way to help fight these "Trolls". I hope you take the time to watch, if anything its interesting and sheds a lot of light on the processes used in technology today to continue to make money for those who are LAZY and GREEDY. Now, does that remind you of anyone you know? A politician maybe?

Corruption at Every Turn

[gpdpublic · 10/10 · 28 December 2017]

Capitalistism run amok! This is a very good example of why there MUST BE government regulations. And it is going to get worse my friends. Greed and corruption are quickly bringing our country to ruin. STOP ELECTING BASED ON PARTY LINES. ELECT THE PERSON, NOT THE PARTY!

This corruption affects Everyone & Must be stopped ASAP!

[kymchala · 10/10 · 4 July 2020]

Legal Extortion! Why would anyone even try to start a business until this is fixed?! I'm surprised the DW hasn't been used to hire Poetic Justice angels to at least teach them a lesson. If only the ending provided more guidance for us to help.

A true revelation about the corrupt patent system!

[fe-51393 · 10/10 · 18 February 2018]

This is a must watch documentary that shows you the corrupt state of the American patent system.It shows how patent trolls and often corrupt lawyers/judges milk the system, to force helpless victims out of a livelihood.I sincerely hope that the Congress will pass a bill that puts an end to this gross injustice.

Painful to watch!

[jameslaz-89425 · 3/10 · 1 November 2018]

I'm sorry but I can't get past the first 5 minutes of this documentary with hoky black and white scetch comendy and then the reverberation voices and special effects of all the people talking! I dint get it this is a documentary, just tell us the facts.

And we wonder why we just can't seem to get ahead..

[senditjv · 10/10 · 5 October 2018]

This predatory litigation scheme should yield the death penalty. Let our ideas and businesses thrive along with or family's and entire country. Not a free absentee offices holding hostage the ability to breathe in one nostril and it the other or swing sideways vs forwards. This asinine archaine methodology must go for all Americans to thrive now.

This "documentary" is nonsense and its examples are spurious

[random-70778 · 23 June 2021]

Wow, this "documentary" is total nonsense. The examples it uses are completely spurious.

And there is a reason why the US leads the world in innovation. Why even the method for developing the covid vaccine came from the US and western researchers -- due to strong patent protection.

A problem that needed to be highlighted

[evokev · 10/10 · 5 February 2022]

For a one man band film this is pretty good. Its not perfect much like the complex and expensive patent system. The examples it used could have been better but then would you have got permission from the patent holders to use them? At least the East Texas tag teams have been exposed and limited to just their area which the film shows is in the middle of nowhere, so fewer victims. Hopefully this film raised awareness so that could happen, so good for this guy who must have the biggest set of brass balls ever dealing with the gun loving locals.

Either Uninformed or Intentionally Misleading.

[cookingatmidnight · 1/10 · 24 January 2018]

The analysis of the movie provided by "aecolu" is 100% accurate. I can't tell if the movie is grossly misinformed, or intentionally misleading. I laughed out loud when the narrator put the red box around the preamble of the claim and said "this is what they have the right to"...NO. That's actually the part of the claim that holds little to no weight.

I completely agree that patent trolls are a huge problem and the system needs to be adjusted to protect against them. However, as someone who works with patents every day, I was very disappointed with all the incorrect information this movie put forward.

Misses Several points

[clay-53626 · 3/10 · 5 February 2019]

I have a US patent and am somewhat familiar with the patent troll business. I did learn a few things though.The concentration of cases is East TX plus father son/judge to law firm are humiliating to most lawyers, I believe. What can be done? The problem is the trial lawyers and politicians that block them. These cases are far from the fair norm of suing someone that has wronged you. The next is a landmark patent "Alice" was granted in the last several years that makes if much more difficult for business methods patents (several defendants in the show had patents in that category.) Another remedy is to invalidate the patent the troll owns. According to the doc that should not be hard. Also, you have to go through the Patent System courts so you don't face the dishonest judges he mentions. According to the doc thr trolls are not likely to spend hard money defending them selves when they can just go to the next mullet.