Posted by: Anonymous Coward
on September 10, 2004 02:03 AM
I am a lone programmer. No real budget to defend myself, no budget to go on the offensive. I just have to hope that I am under the radar.
We've allowed side-ways swinging to be patented. We've allowed IBM to patent the "Automated Masterbatoroy Device" (in-joke: IBM owns AMD) I have seen patents where wireless comms replaced wired comms, and that was found to be worthy of a patent.
The patent office has accepted our joke test patents. What has been done? Nothing. Patents are not bad. They are used to encourage research, by protecting it. Without patents, the stakes wouldn't be high. We wouldn;t have all these wonderful drugs if we didn't have patent protection.
I love patents. But I hate them when they get in my way of something I can invent myself in 5 minutes. Patents are being abused. The funamental flaw here is that patent officers are not experts in their field. They are then paid on the basis of granting patents. The easiest way is to to change them to strict salary workers.
I have a friend that had a novel idea. He went for a patent (at a huge cost to him), and it was rejected due to obviousness. (It was not software, but mechanical) How does he get denied yet sideways swinging is patentable?
I say we have proved the patent system is broken, yet it remains that way.
We should instead abuse it. Eventually, someone will realize that it is too broken and no longer advances scientific progress, but impeeds it. Of course int he meantime a huge IP industry is blossoming. Those in it will fight. Until we have Mutually Assured Destruction. Oh, wait, we aleady have that.
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Posted by: Anonymous Coward on September 10, 2004 02:03 AMWe've allowed side-ways swinging to be patented. We've allowed IBM to patent the "Automated Masterbatoroy Device" (in-joke: IBM owns AMD) I have seen patents where wireless comms replaced wired comms, and that was found to be worthy of a patent.
The patent office has accepted our joke test patents. What has been done? Nothing. Patents are not bad. They are used to encourage research, by protecting it. Without patents, the stakes wouldn't be high. We wouldn;t have all these wonderful drugs if we didn't have patent protection.
I love patents. But I hate them when they get in my way of something I can invent myself in 5 minutes. Patents are being abused. The funamental flaw here is that patent officers are not experts in their field. They are then paid on the basis of granting patents. The easiest way is to to change them to strict salary workers.
I have a friend that had a novel idea. He went for a patent (at a huge cost to him), and it was rejected due to obviousness. (It was not software, but mechanical) How does he get denied yet sideways swinging is patentable?
I say we have proved the patent system is broken, yet it remains that way.
We should instead abuse it. Eventually, someone will realize that it is too broken and no longer advances scientific progress, but impeeds it. Of course int he meantime a huge IP industry is blossoming. Those in it will fight. Until we have Mutually Assured Destruction. Oh, wait, we aleady have that.
When will this house of cards fall?
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