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until they get brought by a slightly eviler co.
by fuzzythinker 16y ago
until they get brought by a slightly eviler co.
- cookiecaper 16y agoIt doesn't always have to work that way. If patents are secured, they can effectively be released into public domain, at least as far as I understand. Take a look at Xiph and Ogg; my understanding is that they publicly relinquished any rights to pursue infringement claims on their Vorbis-related (?) patents. IANAL. Someone may also take a more creative route and attempt to make the point that software patents are terrible and evil by doing something absurd and high-profile by wielding them. For instance, if people can't get an iPhone anymore because of an injunction related to a patent suit, people will get mad and someone will probably at least try to fix the law, but probably end up making it worse. Generally, it seems people don't care about principle as much as they care about having their fleeting wants fulfilled. If you take away American Idol or iPhone, you will get angry citizens.
- fuzzythinker 16y agoYes, both of these scenarios are what we hope, especially the latter since I don't envision the USPTO to just stop software patents without such catalyst. But as you know, obtaining patents to open to public domain isn't the norm. I would guess that change of leadership (or even change of heart of the leader) to ones who don't believe in the original defensive intent of the patent happens more frequently.