3 ms·

How can this be worthy of a patent? This has been the example of GPGPU from day one. It is not even a technological invention, it is an application of existing

How can this be worthy of a patent? This has been the example of GPGPU from day one. It is not even a technological invention, it is an application of existing technology. It is like IBM patenting "using a computer for business administration" or a kid patenting "swinging sideways on a child's swing" (that last one is actually not made up: see http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2178-boy-takes-swing-at-us-patents.html http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2178-boy-takes-swing-a...) update: I just noticed that the New Scientist article actually refers to a patent for "a system that issues reservations for using the toilet on an aeroplane", issued to four IBM developers. How ironic :P

kjuhygtfrde 16y ago
Do you want to fight it? Do your customers, shareholders, managers, investors want you to fight it? Or would you agree to buy MSFT's product if it included a promise not to sue you?
- micheljansen 16y ago
  I am not saying it does not make sense for Microsoft to pursue a patent like this; I am saying that the fact that it does illustrates how out-of-touch the patent system has become. Patents were meant to protect Patents have by themselves become a source of revenue, used by big corporations to sit on their lazy ass. They no longer hold any value for the small inventors they were meant to protect in the first place.
sunkencity 16y ago
Well apparently Intel is totally unaware of this fact, so it's news to somebody.
GHFigs 16y ago
It is not even a technological invention, it is an application of existing technology. Can you cite an example of an invention which was not an application of existing technology?
- micheljansen 16y ago
  Do you want to get into a philosophical discussion on what constitutes technology? :P I believe patents should be used to protect inventions of new technology (e.g. things like light bulbs, telephones (ouch) or cars), not "methods for illuminating the workplace", "methods for notifying people of cancelled appointments" or "ways to transport oneself from home to work".
  - GHFigs 16y ago
    Do you want to get into a philosophical discussion on what constitutes technology? No. My question was unambiguous.

kjuhygtfrde 16y ago

Do you want to fight it? Do your customers, shareholders, managers, investors want you to fight it? Or would you agree to buy MSFT's product if it included a promise not to sue you?

micheljansen 16y ago
I am not saying it does not make sense for Microsoft to pursue a patent like this; I am saying that the fact that it does illustrates how out-of-touch the patent system has become. Patents were meant to protect Patents have by themselves become a source of revenue, used by big corporations to sit on their lazy ass. They no longer hold any value for the small inventors they were meant to protect in the first place.

sunkencity 16y ago

Well apparently Intel is totally unaware of this fact, so it's news to somebody.

GHFigs 16y ago

It is not even a technological invention, it is an application of existing technology. Can you cite an example of an invention which was not an application of existing technology?

micheljansen 16y ago
Do you want to get into a philosophical discussion on what constitutes technology? :P I believe patents should be used to protect inventions of new technology (e.g. things like light bulbs, telephones (ouch) or cars), not "methods for illuminating the workplace", "methods for notifying people of cancelled appointments" or "ways to transport oneself from home to work".
- GHFigs 16y ago
  Do you want to get into a philosophical discussion on what constitutes technology? No. My question was unambiguous.