????和技術(shù)界的許多人一樣，我也相信應(yīng)該廢除所有的軟件專利。話雖如此，我依然認(rèn)為Facebook公司對雅虎公司（Yahoo）的專利攻擊提起訴訟實(shí)屬正確之舉。

????就我所見，F(xiàn)acebook有4個(gè)選擇：

????1. 和解。鑒于Facebook的首次公開募股（IPO）在即，這當(dāng)然是最簡單的辦法。但是，和解意味著必須讓雅虎得到些甜頭，可能會縱容它變本加厲地發(fā)起更多無聊的專利訴訟。

????2. 防守但不反訴。表面上，這么做將體現(xiàn)“堅(jiān)守原則”的立場。但是，它實(shí)際上將嚴(yán)重削弱Facebook的法律地位，也會因此讓雅虎更有機(jī)會從這樁官司中漁利。

????3. 反訴但不表態(tài)排除專利訴訟。

????4. 反訴并表態(tài)Facebook反對專利訴訟，這也反過來表示，如果雅虎放棄訴訟，F(xiàn)acebook也會投桃報(bào)李。Facebook采取的似乎正是這個(gè)舉措：

????Facebook的法律總顧問泰德?尤羅特在其發(fā)表的聲明中稱：“從一開始，我們就聲明，針對雅虎的訴訟，我們會全力應(yīng)訴。當(dāng)前我們堅(jiān)持自己的專利權(quán)利主張，但我們這么做完全是回應(yīng)雅虎所作所為的無奈之舉。雅虎這種攻擊合作伙伴、將訴訟置于創(chuàng)新之上的做法是非常缺乏遠(yuǎn)見的決策。”（粗體為筆者所加）

????反訴能讓Facebook獲得化解雅虎訴訟的最佳機(jī)會——也能因此而挫敗通過專利訴訟獲利的企圖。同時(shí)，挑明反訴只是應(yīng)對雅虎的無奈之舉（因此，如果雅虎就此放棄訴訟，它也可能采取類似的舉動），又讓其始終站在了創(chuàng)新者一邊。

????譯者：清遠(yuǎn)

????Like many in tech, I believe all software patents should be abolished. That said, I think Facebook made the right move by filing a lawsuit against Yahoo's patent attack.As I see it, Facebook had 4 choices:

????1. Settle. Given its pending IPO, this would have been the easiest route. But, by rewarding Yahoo (YHOO), settling would have encouraged more frivolous patent lawsuits.

????2. Defend without countersuing. On the surface this would have been the "principled" stance, but it would have severely weakened Facebook's legal position, and therefore would have made it more likely that Yahoo profited from the lawsuit.

????3. Countersue without signaling any aversion to patent lawsuits.

????4. Countersue and signal that Facebook is averse to patent lawsuits, which in turn signals that they will drop the lawsuit if Yahoo does. This seems to be what Facebook has done:

????"From the outset, we said we would defend ourselves vigorously against Yahoo's lawsuit," Ted Ullyot, Facebook's general counsel, said in a statement. "While we are asserting patent claims of our own, we do so in response to Yahoo's short-sighted decision to attack one of its partners and prioritize litigation over innovation." [emphasis added]

????Countersuing gives Facebook the best chance of fending off Yahoo's lawsuit – and therefore not rewarding patent lawsuits. And signaling it are only doing so in response to Yahoo (hence might drop the suit if Yahoo does) keeps it on the right side of innovation.

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