According to this article and others those 6 patents are all still pending meaning they haven't yet been accepted by the PTO as valid patents. For less than $400 any of us can file a provisional patent with the PTO that would allow you to claim patent pending status. So unless Apple's lawyers are certain they'll be accepted they aren't worth much of anything right now.

You're correct, but in the case of patent acquisitions in many cases having a claim of priority (i.e. filing/invention date) is far more important than whether a patent is granted or not. In any patent litigation, the defendant will argue that a patent is invalid regardless of if it's actually been published.

In other words, when you look at a patent, you can concretely say a couple things: a) what prior art exists and b) what the priority date is. You would like to say c) is this a viable patent, but even if the USPTO grants a patent this is never set in stone (thanks to the court system).

Edit: sounds like the priority dates are all in 2011, which isn't particularly early, still a little dumbfounded.

if you don't mind may you please elaborate on the above post in the context of this headline ? thank you !

Here's the real color.com VC pitch, not the fake one they distributed.

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"Look, we want a bunch of money from you VCs. A LOT of it. Here's what we've got: Some great patents, and the prospect of some more as we continue R&D. More importantly, these patents are in a strategically critical space where Google, Samsung, Apple, and Microsoft are all vying for supremacy.

"So here's what we're going to do with your money: Either (a) Shake a bunch of people down for big bucks, in which case we'll need your money for legal fees. Only we may not need it, but knowing we can afford to pay lawyers will make the big guys settle. Or (b) Sell the patents.

"Yeah, we anticipated the "We don't fund patent trolls" objection. Here are the bullshit products we plan to roll out. Sure they suck, but they buy us credibility in the valley as an operating entity. Nobody will accuse you of funding a troll.

"And hey, one of these dogs with fleas may actually catch on, you never know. If not, we shoot it and make another, we just call it "pivoting" while we carry on negotiations for patent royalties.

"Whaddya say, how does M$40 sound, plus an extra mil so we can say "The low forties" on the press release?"

I get that this is supposed to be comedic satire. But it really does have the ring of truth to it.

Source? If true, brilliance on Bill Ngyuens end and shame on the tech press for not getting it.

Thing is, they tech press do get it. Probably more than us. But we keep clicking through to their articles; that's how they make money.

Seems legit, and they asked for 40 million only. I would have given more cos the pitch is the best

Because the report says Apple's interest may be in Color's patents.