Do I Have a Scam for You

One Laptop Per Child, a widely-known non-profit started by MIT professor, Nicholas Negroponte, is under fire.  This time by a Nigerian-owned keyboard manufacturer that has filed patent infringement, seeking an injunction and $20 million in damages. 

Groklaw reported yesterday that the case had begun in Nigerian courts and an interim injunction was issued against the OLPC, meaning the XO Laptop cannot be imported or sold in Nigeria.  This might seem like an enormous victory for Ade Oyegbola,the founder of the Nigerian keyboard company, Lagos Analysis Corp.  Fortunately for OLPC's lawyers, Oyegbola's checkered past includes being convicted of bank fraud in Boston in 1990 and serving a year in prison.  In addition, even though the keyboard accent keys do seem very similar, Negroponte claims the keyboard technology was created in 1996, well before Oyegbola filed for his patent in Nigeria.

This lawsuit is absolutely ridiculous on multiple accounts and I'm sure that OLPC will release a strong statement soon.  The worst part of this is that there are kids in Nigeria that will suffer from not having this instrument in their schools and homes.  It's sad that man's desire for money can stifle such a great cause in a country that needs a better education system as desperately as Nigeria.

In December, a Boston Globe article pointed to the fact that the non-profit has sold over 300,000 XO laptops since launching in 2005.  This includes making strides in Peru and Mexico through large bulk purchases of 260,000 and 50,000 laptops, respectively. 

Personally, I'd love to be able to buy a laptop for every child in the farming village that we work with in Guatemala (pictured above). As most of them barely have running water, much less a personal computer.  These kids are the ones that can truly benefit the most from these laptops in that they can learn so much by using them.   I pray for the day that college is an option for these kids and that the OLPC will be allowed to continue to do inspirational work in 2008. - John Herrington

Thanks to Engadget for the update.

Comments

[Cam Beck]

I wonder if that's the same guy who keeps asking me to hold $400 million in my bank account for him.

[bakatron]

i remember using the olpc a year back. oh lord was it slow. im glad they bumped up the ram on that thing. i posted a few pics of the original olpc prototype on my site if anyone wants to see it - http://www.bakatron.com/olpc/

[John Herrington]

@bakatron That's interesting and thanks for the pics. Any one else been able to play with one?

[Cam Beck]

John - David Armano said via Twitter that he'd be doing some sort of video demonstration soon.