This was copied from Chuck`s Fireside Chat to SVFIG in Nov. of 2004. Thought the ``money from heaven`` comment was interesting---and hope that we see some of it also. ads

Lawsuits would not exist if somebody didn`t think that there was money. So there is potential for money coming out of these lawsuits in a few years down the road. It is my first close encounter with this sort of litigation, civil litigation. You put your Annie in the pot and you get to take your chances on the draw. People are requesting jury trial. Juries are unpredictable. That`s why there requesting them, because perhaps their case isn`t as good as they wish it were. It is expensive. It is tedious. It is long drawn out process.

One interesting aspect of our judicial system which I didn`t appreciate is the pressure to settle rather than actually going to trial. And that pressure comes mostly comes from the judge who doesn`t want to have to hold the trial. It`s far too expensive and all the judges sort of get together on this and agree.

You go to settlement conferences. You go to mediation, all kinds of arrangements to try to avoid the cost of the trial, which is born by society in general not the litigants. And that all takes months and years to work out.

I know there has been some publicity on this. When people mention the court case it`s Patriot Scientific Vs. Charles H. Moore. So I am majorly involved in this. If you don`t remember, Patriot Scientific produced the ShBoom Microprocessor ten years ago.

I am giving a deposition on Monday which is why I`m here. Of course I would be here anyway because it is only five hours from Sierra City. But this all makes it convenient.

Some of the other lawsuits involve computer manufacturers. Patriot sued the Japanese laptop manufacturers for patent infringement. Intel sued Patriot in defense of their customers Patriot then sued me, and Dan Lecrone and TPL. I have half interest in the patent that Patriot is prosecuting.

Baroque, complex, obscure, it is the sort of thing that you wished hadn`t happened. And it wouldn`t have happened if these patents had been allowed to sit on the shelf. We will see what happens. It would be nice if some money were to fall from heaven and maybe get spread around a little bit.

In any kind of lawsuit lawyers fees are preposterous. It`s a nice gamble whether you will come out ahead. Somebody maybe will, but everybody?