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Patent insurance is the knee jerk reaction to patents, and more or less impractical. However, the patent pool concept this article discusses sounds like a way
by eggnet 15y ago
Patent insurance is the knee jerk reaction to patents, and more or less impractical.
However, the patent pool concept this article discusses sounds like a way to more or less provide patent insurance, which would be an amazing thing if it reached critical mass.
- dtunkelang 15y agoGlad to see positive feedback about the PATO proposal. I can't claim credit for originality -- but I was glad that, when I thought of it independently, I was quickly able to discover John Walker's proposal.
- bugsy 15y agoReally sounds to me like a consortium that would end up using its collective power to destroy non-members. Would be easy enough at some point to make sure only large corporations can afford to be members, and go after innovative small companies with their shared portfolio. Legal reform makes a lot more sense to me and is less fraught with potential with abuse.
- eggnet 15y agoThe nightmare scenario you describe is already the current situation. There is already a "boy's club," you automatically become a member when you have acquired enough patents. The consortium is simply a way to lower the barrier to entry to be "one of the boys." The problem with legal reform is that it won't happen, not that it isn't the right thing to do. The consortium as an intermediate step would be a good way to slow roll reform. Once a critical mass of companies is part of the consortium, intellectual property value would start decreasing, due to the decreased offensive effectiveness, and legal reform would become more feasible.
- dtunkelang 15y agoExactly. I prefer legal reform too, but something is better than nothing.