An Open Letter to BrightEdge

Below is my correspondence with the BrightEdge representative who has been soliciting our business. I have removed names as the representative has been truly professional.

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Hi ###,

First, I apologize that you are the recipient of this email. As my point of contact at BrightEdge, you have done an excellent job in selling what is no doubt an excellent product. I have used BrightEdge through clients in past and can say with certainty that it is a valuable platform and is likely worth its price.

However, it has come to my attention today that BrightEdge has filed suit with SearchMetrics regarding a series of patents acquired in the last 2 years. While I find software patents in general to be concerning, or at least requiring of greater scrutiny, even a cursory glance at the patents described in the suit (http://news.priorsmart.com/brightedge-technologies-v-searchmetrics-la2J/) leaves me very uneasy in doing business with BrightEdge. The thought that my business with BrightEdge could be used to fund the defense of these patents is simply untenable.

Perhaps more importantly, I want a platform that spends every penny available on innovation – on bringing me new technology, not litigating over the old. Google doesn’t care about whether your techniques are patented, so any dollar spent either acquiring patents or defending them is a dollar not spent on bringing me the best service and product you can. You aren’t building roads with your bricks, you are building walls.

At this time, I respectfully ask that you remove me from your marketing list.

Russ Jones
CTO Virante, Inc.
919-459-1035