Comments on: Another Software Practitioner Against Software Patents

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 08 May 2010 12:01:25 +0000

Your competitors wouldn't be permitted to patent your idea out from under you. 35 U.S.C. 102 states "A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a) the invention was known or used by others in this country, or patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country, before the invention thereof by the applicant for patent." So if you're an inventor and want to disseminate your product, but don't want someone else to patent it, just sell the thing and/or publish a paper that fully describes how it works.

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 08 May 2010 12:01:24 +0000

Your competitors wouldn't be permitted to patent your idea out from under you. 35 U.S.C. 102 states “A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a) the invention was known or used by others in this country, or patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country, before the invention thereof by the applicant for patent.” So if you're an inventor and want to disseminate your product, but don't want someone else to patent it, just sell the thing and/or publish a paper that fully describes how it works.

By: Josh

Josh — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:51 +0000

I know you are anti-patents, but the reality is they exist, so if you don't protect your idea then your competitors will go ahead and patent it for you.

Without some broad changes in the issuance of patents, it is unrealistic to think that entrepreneurs will abandon pursuing them even if they agree with your view, out of fear of someone else securing rights to the idea.

By: Raza Imam

Raza Imam — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:51 +0000

Wow, I'm really amazed at how much support there is for loosening the stranglehold of patents. I've always been against them but never knew that so many other people felt the same way. The way I see it, inventors deserve credit for their innovation, but once they sell it, it enters the public domain. As long as other people give credit to the original inventor, I see no problem in adding to it, modifying it, etc.

Thanks for sharing this post.

Raza Imam
http://SoftwareSweatshops.com

By: bfeld

bfeld — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:55:51 +0000

No argument here. I'm not suggesting that entrepreneurs shouldn't continue to pursue patents. As long as we are living with a fucked up system, we have to function in the context of it.

I'm just trying to play my little part in changing the system!

By: Brad Feld

Brad Feld — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:57:13 +0000