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How someone is allowed to patent something that already exists is beyond me? What is the patent office doing over there? I don't think they are doing their jobs
by thegayngler 11y ago
How someone is allowed to patent something that already exists is beyond me? What is the patent office doing over there? I don't think they are doing their jobs properly if Bank of America was allowed to patent technology they didn't create.
- coldtea 11y ago>How someone is allowed to patent something that already exists is beyond me Obviously because the patent process is just a timestamp thing that says "I've registered this idea at this time". It's then up to the court to rule on a any clashes, e.g. when somebody else has a similar registration from an earlier time.
- nitrogen 11y agoPatents are supposed to be rejected before they are granted if they don't meet the requirements for patentability, though. To do otherwise destroys the value of patents for anyone but the wealthiest corporations.
- jacquesm 11y ago> To do otherwise destroys the value of patents for anyone but the wealthiest corporations. You may be on to something there.
- throwawaykf05 11y agoThis is because you (and most people here) fundamentally misunderstand how patents work and what these patents actually cover. Essentially, there are an infinite number of applications, variations and implementations of any given technology, and each of these may potentially be patent-eligible. The patent office's job is to only grant those that are sufficiently distinguishable over some combination of prior art.