5 ms·

Someone patented space elevators in 2015. http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=9085897 http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber

• zepearl 8y ago
  Thanks for the link. I'm personally very conflicted about patents. In this specific case I classify it as a "speculative" patent => I'm totally against this it. Patents should be allowed only for something that exists / can be demonstrated (which would ensure that patents are something somebody invested in, and therefore at least believed in).
  • worldsayshi 8y ago
    Yeah, I wonder if anyone has patented human teleportation...
    • skissane 8y ago
      Don't patents only have a 20 year lifespan? If you patent human teleportation, and nobody actually develops it in the 20 year life of your patent (a prediction which is highly likely to be true), then you've simply wasted your filing fees, made a charitable donation to the patent office (and your patent attorney).
      • deleted 8y ago
        [deleted]
      • zepearl 8y ago
        Again, "teleportation" would be a "speculative" patent (you have thought about the concept but didn't present anything that works). If you would/could take ownership of only its "concept" then I would reply "screw you - I would take ownership of [humanity]" and you would become nothing. Yo :)
  • lrem 8y ago
    I believe the patent for warp drive has been rejected due to lack of a prototype.
• flyingfences 8y ago
  I think in this case there's so much "prior art" that the patent would be invalidated at the first challenge.
  • liversage 8y ago
    An organisation capable of building a space elevatoren surely would have the resources to fight a patent troll... Or just pay up some royalties that likely will be insignificant in the overall budget.