"I am Not a Patent Troll" Says 1st Technology's Scott Lewis"We have dozens of innovations patent pending, a core set of issued patents relating to multimedia transmission optimization, and a software development in the legal/regulated Internet gaming field. I’m the sole inventor for all of our issued patents some of which we license to leading companies, involved in high performance multimedia entertainment products and services, who respect intellectual property rights."
So says 1st Technology CEO Scott Lewis regarding his patent lawsuit against Bodog.com. Lewis' company successfully brought down the Bodog.com domain name in a move that left Bodog reeling. Bodog has since incorporated the URL BodogLife into their gaming, music and fight channels.
"Licensing helps 1st Tech invest in new innovations and software development efforts – and reflects decades of effort and the greater part of my life’s work," Lewis states. "It took me ten years of advanced education and another ten years of developing high performance chips and software to come up with these ideas."
Bodog CEO Calvin Ayre continues to insist this is nothing more than an "extortion attempt". Since appearing on the cover of Forbes prestigious 2006 Billionaire's issue, Ayre has been accosted by "stalkers", had his Costa Rican home raided by local police, and now his firm has lost its coveted domain name.
But Lewis insists his suit against Bodog was filed long before Ayre appeared on the cover of Forbes.
In a letter obtained by Gambling911.com addressed to Calvin Ayre by Scott Lewis he writes:
Starting in July 2005 our law firm sent you multiple letters over the next year noticing infringement and proposing licensing negotiations – letter sent to your San Jose Costa Rican address listed on your Bodog website. After not getting any reply, we finally as a last resort filed suit in September 2006, and then called your customer service group.
A U.S. Federal Court last week denied a challenge to 1st Technology’s $49.4M judgment total, with accruing interest, for patent infringement in 1st Technology LLC vs. Bodog Entertainment Group S.A., Bodog.com, Bodog.net (the “Bodog entities” per court filings.) The judgment reflects damages in part from the Bodog entities’ downloading of gaming software into the United States for use by U.S. customers which has translated into a reported $7.3B revenues per year from its online gambling operations, with most monies are coming from U.S. customers.
It is believed that Scott's company has worked with Bodog competitors who utilize a similar technology as part of a "licensing agreement".
The Federal Court debtor order calls for Calvin Ayre to appear under oath in 1st Technology’s Las Vegas Nevada lawyers’ law offices on November 2, 2007 and that failure to appear, according to the signed order, “... will result in a bench warrant being issued for the arrest of Calvin Ayre….”
Ayre has continued to issue statements about the turn of events on his blog Calvin Ayre Life
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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com
Originally published October 19, 2007 9:36 am ET
