> TrueSkill is patented,[3] and the name is trademarked,[4] so it is limited to Microsoft projects and commercial projects that obtain a license to use the algo

> TrueSkill is patented,[3] and the name is trademarked,[4] so it is limited to Microsoft projects and commercial projects that obtain a license to use the algorithm. Capitalism sometimes leads to stupid outcomes as this big issue with "what is property". Imagine if physicists patented their equations, forcing universities, books, movies, wikipedia, etc.. all to pay for the privilege of using their equations. The world would still be in the dark ages with just a privileged social class with access to advanced knowledge. Not to mention this will bar a totally valid shot of others human beings of getting into the same result while trying to solve this problem, giving they are using a math toolbox that is generally available to anyone. Corporations should have the right to explore something they worked on, of course, but look at this example where Microsoft already implemented and still profit from their invention/discovery. Using the legal system and not creativity to stop everyone else to progress using not just their knowledge, but the knowledge that can come from everywhere its pure stupidity as its not serving towards a collective good. We are in the middle of the COVID outbreak right now, imagine if this sort of adversarial view were prominent in the world, how many more people would die if basic techniques about making vaccines were patented? This is just utterly stupid and it's another proof that the system is broken.