Comments on: Cutting Through the Patent Thicket http://halr9000.com/article/252 (powershell & other stuff) Thu, 17 May 2012 06:21:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Dougal Campbell http://halr9000.com/article/252/comment-page-1#comment-983 Dougal Campbell Wed, 21 Dec 2005 16:05:16 +0000 http://halr9000.com/?p=252#comment-983 From what I've read, patents were originally designed to protect the lone inventor (or small companies) from big companies. But over the years, they've become more of an offensive weapon than a defensive one. We've got companies and law firms that get patents on vague concepts, then sue anybody they can find that might be infringing. Instead of making money on the "invention" itself, they make money by just preventing anybody else from using the invention. The major problems I see with patents are: * The pace of invention is much faster these days (due to advancing technology). The patent office can't keep up with it. * Software patents (and other patents on non-physical processes, like business plans) are a bad idea. We end up with patents on things like "method for transferring data in a neutral format". What the heck is that supposed to mean? * Patents last too long (see point 1). I think they last for 14 years? Something around 5 years would probably be more reasonable. If your idea is worth implementing, and you can't get it to market in 5 years, let somebody else have at it. From what I’ve read, patents were originally designed to protect the lone inventor (or small companies) from big companies. But over the years, they’ve become more of an offensive weapon than a defensive one. We’ve got companies and law firms that get patents on vague concepts, then sue anybody they can find that might be infringing. Instead of making money on the “invention” itself, they make money by just preventing anybody else from using the invention.

The major problems I see with patents are:

* The pace of invention is much faster these days (due to advancing technology). The patent office can’t keep up with it.
* Software patents (and other patents on non-physical processes, like business plans) are a bad idea. We end up with patents on things like “method for transferring data in a neutral format”. What the heck is that supposed to mean?
* Patents last too long (see point 1). I think they last for 14 years? Something around 5 years would probably be more reasonable. If your idea is worth implementing, and you can’t get it to market in 5 years, let somebody else have at it.

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