into electronic streams flowing thru the cosmos On Friday 03 November 2006 10:17 pm, Darryl Gregorash wrote:
On 2006-11-03 21:54, M Harris wrote:
<snip> You obviously are ignorant of the very real problem.
Hardly. I know the nature of the real problem -- it is the idiotic US patent system, not necessarily patents in general. Innovation does not cease the moment you bring it in-house to a single corporate lab. You do not need a bunch of independent researchers spread all over the planet in order to make progress, in software or in anything else.
What *is* a real impediment to innovation and progress is the idiotic system which allows a patent to be issued for nothing more than the *idea* of putting a GPS unit onto a PCI card.
You are wrong, it's not *just* the idea, someone must actually have a working or workable way to do it.. they have to produce diagrams AND a working model. That the idea might be unwieldy until electronics get smaller, or cheaper or there is an actual use ( a whole helluva lot of stuff is developed by people before , say satellite gps tech was released into the general population. ) Specialized knowledge they probably wouldn't have unless they worked at a company that had something like a room sized version of one in the works.. Before that happened Military and Policing types were the only ones who had access and they had access to grunts to haul equipment around. And someone at a place that build those systems probably showed an idea to a boss one day, who built the object most engineers in big companies have clauses in their contracts which says anything they invent , even on their own time belongs to the company on the assumption that the stuff you use everyday probably gave you a knowledge you wouldn't have access to otherwise. They get first refusal. If it turns out not to impinge on their stuff in any way.. ( It's an electronic juice bar and Margarita mixer ) they say no thanks and you patent it on your own. Don't feel sorry for the poor engineer, they get their name on a plaque ( unless they work at the Skunk Works, then I dunno) if issued. And a pay out by the company even before any patent is sought. The pay out is a buy out of the idea and any materials developed by you on your own, and is usually commiserate w/ what the company thinks it can make, less the costs of patent search, and bringing the thing thru the patent process. A not inconsiderable sum. <snip>
The sky is *not* falling.
sez you.. It most likely is . ;-P -- j This current flows between us that will not be denied You draw me in towards you like the moon pulls at the tide May no shadow ever fall that will make me have to call you someone I used to love