Blackberry Handhelds and The Federal Government Being Exempt from The Shutoff

The Federal Government, and from what I read NTP, both want to exempt the Federal Government workers from being affected if an injunction is granted in the patent infringement lawsuit.

Now the Federal Government I can see why - every Congress person and lots of other Federal workers would be shut off. But Congress could care lees if private firms lose money if they are shut off. The NTP wants the Feds to continue because if they get shut off Congress would get involved since NO member of Congress could use their Blackberries®.

 

Exempting the US Government would be wrong - it would re-enforce a precedent that certain classes of people are exempt from onerous or ruinous rules.

The US Government (and especially California) has been going after companies and making rules that causes all sorts of damage - yet exempt their own people or institutions from having to go by those same rules.

Run-a-way patent lawsuits is just one example that the US Congress has refused to address. The Federal Government has not not done anything to stop the purposeful "patent shopping" firms from suing to earn money off of previously unmarketed patents - which means the US Government should suffer just like private citizens and private companies will.

Maybe if Congress gets shut off then they will wake up and fix problems.

Congressional leaders can use their Blackberries to e-mail their staff to work on that legislation  - in 2012.