"Nathan Myhrvold’s Lobbying Efforts Lead to . . . a Strange Lawsuit."

We've been chronicling Mr. Myhrvold for a while now, links below.
From the Wall Street Journal's Law blog:

How’s this: A lawsuit that pits a former Ross Perot presidential running mate against the king of patent aggregating/molecular cooking — with a cameo role from organized labor?

A breach of contract suit filed in federal court in the District of Columbia this week has all that and more.
The suit was filed by Pat Choate of Ross Perot running-mate fame and also a noted author of books on economic development and intellectual property issues.

Choate (pictured) is suing Nathan Myhrvold’s secretive Intellectual Ventures, the mega patent aggregator, over a lobbying contract as reported here on Patrick Anderson’s blog.

Myhrvold, who critics have labeled a “patent troll” recently released his mega cookbook on the science behind cooking.

Here’s what happened, according to the lawsuit: Choate was hired by Peter Harter, IV’s Washington lobbyist, in 2006 to blunt the patent reform movement churning in Congress that could have weakened the rights of patent owners such as Myhrvold.

Choate testifed on behalf of patent owners and secured a spot in 2007 at a secret, invite-only meeting with all members of the House Judiciary Committee that was considering patent-reform legislation....MORE

HT: I think it was Overlawyered

Previously:
Smart Investing: Myhrvold’s Patent Firm Sees Revenue Swell

Really Smart Investing

I was having an email conversation with a really smart guy* which led to my doing a quick search at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
This, of course, reminded me of the Ocean Tomo 300™ index....

Free download: 10 terabytes of patents and trademarks (GOOG)
British Petroleum Patents Blowout Preventer Testing Method and Makes no Promises on Dividends (BP)
"Fannie Mae owns patent on residential 'cap and trade' exchange" (FNM)

Seeing what a fine job the GSE's did with their core businesses, what the hell, let's have at it.
Why am I reminded of the monoline insurers....

The Fannie Mae Patent on a "System and method for residential emissions trading": Securitization in the Carbon Markets (FNM; GS)
Who says big ideas are rare? (Using Nuclear Waste)
Inventing the Future
"Solar Patent King Boeing Teams Up With Stirling Energy Systems" (BA)