4 ms·
> The point of patents is, if you discover a method of doing something, you patent it, and if anyone wants to use your process, they pay you to license it. So w
by gnaritas 16y ago
> The point of patents is, if you discover a method of doing something, you patent it, and if anyone wants to use your process, they pay you to license it. So we provide a mechanism - but not the guarantee, since no-one might be interested - for a return on an investment into R&D.
That is not the point of the patent system, that is the means by which the actual goal is obtained. The goal of the patent system is make the information public so all of mankind can benefit from it and the knowledge doesn't die with the inventor. Buying off the inventor with a limited monopoly on the idea is merely a means to an end.
- gaius 16y agoThe goal of the patent system is make the information public so all of mankind can benefit from it and the knowledge doesn't die with the inventor If you have a mechanism other than patents that makes it economically possible for private organizations to engage in capital-intensive R&D and make the information public, let's hear it.
- gnaritas 16y agoWhere exactly did I imply that? I was merely pointing out the motivations of the patent system. The system is not necessary for companies to be economically viable as they've been doing that with trade secrets long before patents were around. The patent system was meant to unlock those trade secrets for the benefit of the public, it was never about the inventor's best interests.