Quote:
Originally posted by Anthony@Oct 21 2003, 12:25 PM
You didn't answer my questions in YNOT chat when I asked this: Who are you responsible too? How do we know the money is being used for what you say it is? What is the money being spent on?
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Great questions.. if you wrote them in the chat room while i was on the humpday show, i didn't see it... it's hard to talk and read at the same time, so i looked away from the chat room.
Who are you responsible too?
Right now, only to myself... with Fight the Patent Foundation, it would be a 501c3 non-profit organization with charters and bylaws, etc.
A Board of Directors will be built up to include highly visible tech/internet leaders. An advisory board will be judging which kinds of cases to take on, actions, etc.
At that point, I am responsible to the Board of Directors.
How do we know the money is being used for what you say it is?
Sounds like a credibility issue question. If $250K is pledged and I start asking for that money to be converted to donations, yes, it is a possibility I could just run away with the money. Having formed a corporation and such still doesn't give an credibility, since it is easy to setup a bogus or shell of a corporation.
But the real possibility, is that people who do know me, will be the ones that do the vouching..already have some listed on my Endorsements page, but when it comes to actually writing the check or paying by credit card, I will first be able to show the charter, the bylaws, the incorporation papers and the people who would vouch for my integrity.
Right now, a pledge does not count as money, so yes, it's easy to give a pledge, but when the time comes to collect, I am sure the questions of credibility will be asked..and i am prepared to present that now, as well as later.
What is the money being spent on?
RIght now, I am not collecting any money, spending my own money (or losing potential income) by doing this effort of advocacy.
WHEN the goal is reached, and the money is collected the money gets spent this way:
-Very modest salary for me to do this full time (3k/month)
-Pay for Director's insurance and attract Board of Directors
-Hire some patent attorney to get involved
-Contract with a developer to build out the Prior Art search system where people can contribute leads and earn points for prizes
-Solicit mainstream companies for additional donations
-Attract Media attention
-Help any webmaster who gets served with a lawsuit in providing defense attorneys, prior art searches and expert witnesses through the 'pay it forward' concept.
-insert more stuff here.
I hope that i have answered your questions satisfactorily, please feel free to ask more.
Fight the Patent!