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> If your thing is truly groundbreaking, keep it secret That's kind of the point of a patent. It allows research into the open instead of secret so others can
by jnordwick 10y ago
> If your thing is truly groundbreaking, keep it secret
That's kind of the point of a patent. It allows research into the open instead of secret so others can improve on it while the patent holder monetizes what he created.
without it, corporate research would be entirely kept private.
- incompatible 10y agoIf corporations were so confident of their ability to keep research private, they wouldn't apply for patents. However, I suspect most inventions are either of little practical interest, or would soon be rediscovered by somebody else. How long would it have taken before somebody else thought of 1-click buying, for example?
- TrinaryWorksToo 10y agoI was advised never to read patents when inventing something. What's so useful about a system that's supposed to help people innovate when it's so questionable to use that lawyers are advising against it?
- mark-r 10y agoLawyers advise against it because damages go way up if the patent owner can show you knew about the infringing patent. A very perverse outcome.
- TrinaryWorksToo 10y agoSo doesn't that ultimately sabotage the idea that it brings information to the masses faster, if no one can act upon it?