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The cost could be scaled further based on company size/net revenue/assets. So Apple's $30B nest egg would make it more expensive for them to file a long-term pa
by craftyguy 9y ago
The cost could be scaled further based on company size/net revenue/assets. So Apple's $30B nest egg would make it more expensive for them to file a long-term patent than a startup with $30 in the bank.
- achamayou 9y agoWell that would get played for sure. Apple would start tiny wholly owned companies or buy special purpose startups with only patents etc.
- rdlecler1 9y agoThat could be taken into consideration.
- darawk 9y agoNot reliably. International corporate ownership is very complex. And consider the following: Apple instructs one of its employees to quit and start a new company. That company files the patent and gets it approved for cheap. Apple buys the company the next day. It's very hard to create a system here that's not readily gameable.
- craftyguy 9y agoPatents need to be renewed when the entity that owns them no longer exists (e.g. acquired). If they are not renewed, then they expire and become public domain.
- ribosometronome 9y agoTebahpla, Inc -- a small company with 3 employees a gross yearly income of ~450k files for a patent and gets it granted for 20 years. Tebahpla then licenses that patent only to Google, for 20 years, for $10 a year.
- craftyguy 9y agodamn, this is going to be harder than I thought.