Educause, a higher-education technology group, has released the text of a letter encouraging Blackboard Inc. to abandon its controversial patent and subsequent lawsuit against the rival software company Desire2Learn Inc.
As reported by The Chronicle this month, Educause's Board of Directors voted unanimously before its annual conference in Dallas to condemn Blackboard's decision to patent its e-learning technology and sue another company. Educause officials hand delivered a letter stating as much to Blackboard's president and chief executive officer, Michael L. Chasen, who has maintained that the patent is not as broad as some people perceive it to be.
The patent has prompted considerable grief among college officials, who say it will inhibit innovation in the online-learning industry.
Educause's letter said the group is looking out for the interests of member institutions, not choosing sides in a corporate squabble. Officials of Blackboard, which is a corporate member of Educause, have indicated that the group's stance on the issue would not sway their decision to continue with the lawsuit. –Dan Carnevale
