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Jury verdict gives Facebook victory in patent case

By WTOP Staff

MATTHEW BARAKAT
AP Business Writer

McLEAN, Va. (AP) — Facebook successfully defended itself against a lawsuit that claimed the social media company infringed on patents held by a Dutch programmer who launched a website called “Surfbook” more than a decade ago.

A holding company called Rembrandt Social Media had alleged that a now-deceased Dutch computer programmer, Joannes Van Der Meer, developed and patented methods for running a Web-based personal diary before Facebook came into existence in 2003. But Van Der Meer’s website, Surfbook, never got off the ground.

Facebook said the patents should never have been issued to Van Der Meer, in part because they described methods that would be obvious to people in the trade.

Patent-infringement cases rarely make it to a jury trial, and Facebook had fought for a year to keep the case from getting to a jury. Experts say that jury rulings in such cases can be unpredictable.

A jury returned a verdict Friday in favor of Facebook after a weeklong civil trial in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia.

Rembrandt lawyers and officials did not immediately return phone calls and emails seeking comment on whether they planned to appeal. The company complained about rulings before and during the trial that hurt its case.

U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III barred Rembrandt’s expert on potential damages from testifying. Rembrandt tried unsuccessfully before the trial began to appeal that ruling to the 4th U.S. Circuit court of Appeals in Richmond. And during the trial, Rembrandt complained that questions Ellis asked of witnesses unfairly hurt Rembrandt’s case in front of the jury, and asked for a new trial. Ellis rejected the motion.

Rembrandt had claimed that features on Facebook, including the “like” and “share” buttons, as well as adjustable privacy settings, were all anticipated under Van Der Meer’s patents. More technically, the lawsuit alleged that technology called Bigpipe, used by Facebook to speed up the loading of web pages, directly infringed on Van Der Meer’s patents.

Menlo Park, California-based Facebook is frequently a target of patent-infringement lawsuits. Jason Rantanen, a law professor at the University of Iowa who specializes in patent law, said he could find only one other case where Facebook was the primary defendant in a patent-infringement trial that made it all the way to a jury. Facebook won that case as well.

In 2008, Facebook agreed to pay a $65 million settlement to twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, Harvard classmates of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. They claimed that Zuckerberg stole their idea.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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