We learned today that TechCrunch was being sued by Earthcomber. It seems the real beef they have is with Loopt, over an infringed patent involving systems for searching users based on a criteria.
As the story goes, TechCruch had created a mobile network on Loopt for their users and now find themselves tacked onto this lawsuit as a co-defendant.
As Michael Arrington reports on TC,
I called Earthcomber President Jim Brady this morning to verify the lawsuit. At first he wouldn’t answer – all he did was try to explain how he’s been wronged by Loopt. When pressed he did confirm that the lawsuit was filed, but quickly added that he didn’t really mean to press it with us. He wants to go to court with Loopt, but is willing to quickly work something out with us to make this go away, he told me, hinting that he’d like to partner with us. He also said he’s been desperately trying to get me on the phone but hasn’t been able to, so he decided to sue us instead.
TechCrud commentary removed (see below)
Arrington continues,
We will not be bullied, and people who file frivolous lawsuits need to be put down. I would rather run TechCrunch into the ground and go out of business than let this guy win.
Go get ‘em, Mike!
We’ll continue to track the progress of the situation.
TechCrud Update: Anonymous lawsuit threats coming from Chicago based IP addresses scare me. The following statements are hereby retracted:
- If what Arrington says is true, Jim Brady is a major league asshole.
- Jim Brady is the cruddiest person on the web.
I will add that it is not true that the staff at Earthcomber is required to give Jim Brady oral sex as a condition of employment or that Jim himself is an actor in several gay porn movies. I repeat, the proceeding statements should be considered to be untrue.
Thank you, that is all.