FTC & Negotiated Data Solutions

The Federal Trade Commission on January 23, 2008 announced a complaint and settlement with Negotiated Data Solutions LLC (N-Data), which allegedly violated federal law by engaging in unfair methods of competition and unfair acts or practices regarding its enforcement of certain patents against makers of equipment employing Ethernet, a computer networking standard used in nearly every computer sold in the U.S.  The FTC contended that N-data refused to  meet a commitment made by a former owner of the patent to license the patent  covering the  'Ethernet' Standard Used in Virtually All Personal Computers in U.S.

More background and links to FTC source material 

On February 25, the FTC extended the deadline to April 24 for interested parties  to file  public comments in connection with the consent agreement.  FTC recommends commenters  use  a web based comment form.