Acacia (the patent-squatters that EFF is fighting over a bogus patent that purports to cover all streaming media) has come up wiht another bogus claim of ownership to a basic, obvious and important part of the Internet: captive portals that redirect people who use WiFi hotspots to a login screen. They've announced a $1000 "license" shakedown, and companies that won't bend over will find themselves staring down the barrel of a lawsuit.
The licensing pact demands hotspot operators pay Acacia $1,000 a year for up to 3,500 redirected connections. After which, operators would have to pay 5 to 15 cents for each redirected connection.
"Anybody who operates a hotspot with redirection can assume they'll hear from us," Acacia's executive vice president of business development and general counsel Rob Berman told Wi-Fi Networking News.
(via Copyfight)
