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Has anyone heard of a case where someone needs an idea and turns to Intellectual Ventures to buy one? I'm referring to the way people make this kind of arrange

Has anyone heard of a case where someone needs an idea and turns to Intellectual Ventures to buy one? I'm referring to the way people make this kind of arrangement with universities. If someone has, then Intellectual Ventures could legitimately claim to be innovative.

mechanical_fish 19y ago
Has anyone heard of a case where someone needs an idea and turns to Intellectual Ventures to buy one? That's an easy one: The Department of Defense. A great deal of the DARPA budget is dedicated to paying companies like Intellectual Ventures, or their partners, to develop one or another of their ideas into some military technology. Moreover, companies like Intellectual Ventures would not exist if it wasn't for the fact that -- unlike consumers -- the U.S. Government is often happy to pay for ideas that have no successful implementation, and may never have one. Do you think it's a coincidence that one of Intellectual Ventures' key employees is a former Star Wars researcher? Do you think it's a coincidence that one of their brainstorms was a way to prevent post-injury strokes in soldiers? Companies like this one don't brainstorm at random; they think towards the money, just as a plant grows toward sunlight. It's not all military, of course: The NIH and the NSF are also good for pure-research money.
- wumi 19y ago
  "the U.S. Government is often happy to pay for ideas that have no successful implementation, and may never have one." a lot of University research money comes this way.
- tom 19y ago
  Regarding the NIH and NSF, they WERE good for pure-research money. Most such funds have dried up or been funneled to the war effort. It's ugly out there for "pure-research" money. If there isn't a practical application or promise of a new diagnosis to a well known and popular ailment, good luck getting funding from any, non-DARPA, government source.
- pchristensen 19y ago
  "they think towards the money, just as a plant grows toward sunlight" Another fantastic analogy - that's two in one thread!

mechanical_fish 19y ago

Has anyone heard of a case where someone needs an idea and turns to Intellectual Ventures to buy one? That's an easy one: The Department of Defense. A great deal of the DARPA budget is dedicated to paying companies like Intellectual Ventures, or their partners, to develop one or another of their ideas into some military technology. Moreover, companies like Intellectual Ventures would not exist if it wasn't for the fact that -- unlike consumers -- the U.S. Government is often happy to pay for ideas that have no successful implementation, and may never have one. Do you think it's a coincidence that one of Intellectual Ventures' key employees is a former Star Wars researcher? Do you think it's a coincidence that one of their brainstorms was a way to prevent post-injury strokes in soldiers? Companies like this one don't brainstorm at random; they think towards the money, just as a plant grows toward sunlight. It's not all military, of course: The NIH and the NSF are also good for pure-research money.

wumi 19y ago
"the U.S. Government is often happy to pay for ideas that have no successful implementation, and may never have one." a lot of University research money comes this way.
tom 19y ago
Regarding the NIH and NSF, they WERE good for pure-research money. Most such funds have dried up or been funneled to the war effort. It's ugly out there for "pure-research" money. If there isn't a practical application or promise of a new diagnosis to a well known and popular ailment, good luck getting funding from any, non-DARPA, government source.
pchristensen 19y ago
"they think towards the money, just as a plant grows toward sunlight" Another fantastic analogy - that's two in one thread!