shame to see Blackboard don't seem to want to listen to anyone regarding their patent action. Looks like they are following an approach of either buying out (webct) or suing (desire2learn) anyone who they see as competition.
I was wondering if they might listen to their customers. Have any Bb customers on this list voiced any concerns to the company regarding their behaviour and if so what sort of response have you had. In many ways Bb customers have the most to loose from their actions. The more competition they remove the more they will be able to raise their prices and lower their standards. How about some of the big Bb customers out there getting together and seeing if they can bring any pressure to bear
regards
Peter Kilcoyne
Director of ILT
Worcester College of Technology
www.wortech.ac.uk
[log in to unmask]
07962453869
________________________________
From: Virtual Learning Environments on behalf of Wyatt, Tristram
Sent: Fri 27/10/2006 11:36
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VLES] EDUCAUSE letter to Blackboard - article in Inside Higher Ed.
http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/10/27/educause
"Drop Patent, Educause Urges Blackboard
The leaders of higher education's main technology association have written a
powerfully worded letter urging Blackboard to relinquish the rights it
gained under a controversial patent of online learning technologies in the
public domain and to drop a patent infringement lawsuit it filed in August
against a Canadian competitor, Desire2Learn.
"We believe this action would be in the best business interests of
Blackboard and in the best interests of higher education," Brian L. Hawkins,
the president of Educause, and the group's Board of Directors said in a
letter to Blackboard this month. "We do not make this request lightly or
underestimate the courage it will take to implement. However, we believe it
is the right action for your corporation and our community."
Blackboard officials did not take kindly to the request. "Blackboard has
been (and remains) a long time supporter of Educause and the important role
it plays for the academic community, but we are disappointed that Educause,
an industry organization, is taking public positions on its members'
intellectual property and enforcement efforts," Michael Chasen, Blackboard's
CEO, said in a statement released Thursday night. "We are proud of our
innovations and believe protecting Blackboard's intellectual property is
tantamount to the success of the company and the evolution of the industry
at large."
The letter (the text of which is available below) ..."
http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/10/27/educause
Best wishes
Tristram
Dr Tristram Wyatt - Director of Online Learning
Public Programmes, Department for Continuing Education,
University of Oxford,
Ewert House, Ewert Place, Summertown, Oxford OX2 7DD, UK
Fellow, Kellogg College, Oxford
E-mail: [log in to unmask] Tel. +44 (0) 1865 2 80995
www.conted.ox.ac.uk/online
www.online.ox.ac.uk/pheromones
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