Intellectual Ventures ramps up lobbying in face of new legislation

I regret having lived, for a short time, within trebuchet range of these folks and not doing anything with it.

<i>&gt; Intellectual Ventures spent $310,000 to influence federal policy from July 1 through Sept. 30, up from $165,000 the firm reported spending on lobbying during the previous months, according to a report filed with the U.S. Senate.</i><p>What does this mean exactly, and how is this different from bribery and corruption?

Man, the worst part is that Intellectual Ventures Lab works on some really cool stuff. Maybe a little impractical, but really cool and innovative nonetheless.<p>I&#x27;d totally go work for them if they weren&#x27;t backed by one of the worst corporations on the planet.

The sad thing is that they are capitalized by so many public and private pension funds ... pension participants are unwittingly sapping a core engine of growth.

They fear a weakening of the patent system. We fear a strengthening of it. Our goals and fears are at odds. Our interests are misaligned. In a perfect world this company would exist to invent and license new ideas. In our imperfect world they exist to invent licenses for new ideas.

For some reason I read their name as &quot;Intellectual Vampires.&quot;