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Abrogation of Alice, Mayo, Bilski, and Myriad “to ensure that life sciences discoveries, computer software, and similar inventions and discoveries are patentabl

Abrogation of Alice, Mayo, Bilski, and Myriad “to ensure that life sciences discoveries, computer software, and similar inventions and discoveries are patentable, and that those patents are enforceable.” Wow. Thomas Massie is fucking insane. This has to be one of the worst ideas I've ever heard, and I've heard some real whoppers in my time. Sure, let's bring back "implement X on a computer" as a valid form of patent and enshrine that nonsense as doctrine. This will result in the issuance of thousands more bad (really bad) patents which will totally fuck innovation and do nothing but make more money for patent lawyers.

akersten 5y ago
Couldn't agree more. If anything we need new legislation that reminds the patent office that doing math on a computer is the same thing as doing math, and the concept of software patents is clearly invalid by definition. Moving in the opposite direction is insanity.
- mindcrime 5y ago
  If anything we need new legislation that reminds the patent office that doing math on a computer is the same thing as doing math, and the concept of software patents is clearly invalid by definition. Absolutely. And as for "life sciences discoveries" - that's treading on some dangerous ground if we drift into the possibility of allowing patenting of human genes (see "Orphan Black"), or locking other naturally existing compounds and genetic sequences behind a patent. And you know companies are going to try to do all of the above, and probably other Bad Ideas that I can't even conceive of.
  - R0b0t1 5y ago
    The problem with introducing legislation like that is you end up with the default assumption that it did not exist before the legislation.
deleted 5y ago
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tablespoon 5y ago
> Wow. Thomas Massie is fucking insane. This has to be one of the worst ideas I've ever heard, and I've heard some real whoppers in my time. I'm pretty sure if you look through all the bills proposed by every Representative in Congress, you'll find a lot of insane stuff, but almost all of it has zero chance of going anywhere.
- mistrial9 5y ago
  why does it exist if it has zero chance? I will answer, it does have a chance, just a small one.. and the rewards are so large, it keeps happening. I stood vocally against software patents in the early 90s California, only to have Barbarians from the North make the World's Richest Man for twenty years straight. How is Chapter XXIII going? guess what...
  - tablespoon 5y ago
    > why does it exist if it has zero chance? I will answer, it does have a chance, just a small one.. and the rewards are so large, it keeps happening. Not necessarily, a bill can have value that's computed from something other than its expected chance of passing: 1. an inexpensive sop [1] to some constituency or interest group, 2. a psychologically-pleasing expression of genuinely-held beliefs that are out of step with the consensus, 3. a decoy meant to make some other bill look more reasonable in comparison, 4. legislative make-work, 5. etc. [1] "something of little importance or value that is offered to stop complaints or unhappiness" https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sop https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sop
    - mistrial9 5y ago
      ok good call -- but I think number three there is most likely in practice here.. monetary license bills don't seem like a candidate for "sincerely held beliefs" to me
      - tablespoon 5y ago
        > ok good call -- but I think number three there is most likely in practice here.. Then what's the other bill then? I think it's more likely something 1., 2. or 5. (which I just added after your comment), given the backers of the bill are in the minority and likely have little influence on anything, given the current levels of political polarization. > monetary license bills don't seem like a candidate for "sincerely held beliefs" to me Looking at the sponsors (Massie (R-KY), Gohmert (R-TX), Gosar (R-AZ), and McClintock (R-CA)), they seem like they're on the right wing of the Republican party. It's totally believable this might be some kind of reflection of "sincerely held beliefs" in property rights. Edit: Sayeth the Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Massie#Other https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Massie#Other > Massie describes himself as a constitutional conservative. He believes in intellectual property and thinks it is necessary for incentivizing innovation. Massie has remarked that this is one of the areas where he is not a libertarian.
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gorbachev 5y ago
I bet if you did some research you'd find he's not insane, but that he has substantial financial ties to companies/people, who would benefit from this.
- woodruffw 5y ago
  I think it's safe to assume "insane" here is a stand-in for "insane to put those interests ahead of those of his constituents." That is, of course, if you accept that he considers his voting bloc his constituents in the first place.
hhaha88 5y ago
GOP wants everyone to take it to the courts they’ve stacked in their favor, where defendants can be litigated with cash Treasury prints for their friends.

akersten 5y ago

Couldn't agree more. If anything we need new legislation that reminds the patent office that doing math on a computer is the same thing as doing math, and the concept of software patents is clearly invalid by definition. Moving in the opposite direction is insanity.

mindcrime 5y ago
If anything we need new legislation that reminds the patent office that doing math on a computer is the same thing as doing math, and the concept of software patents is clearly invalid by definition. Absolutely. And as for "life sciences discoveries" - that's treading on some dangerous ground if we drift into the possibility of allowing patenting of human genes (see "Orphan Black"), or locking other naturally existing compounds and genetic sequences behind a patent. And you know companies are going to try to do all of the above, and probably other Bad Ideas that I can't even conceive of.
- R0b0t1 5y ago
  The problem with introducing legislation like that is you end up with the default assumption that it did not exist before the legislation.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

tablespoon 5y ago

> Wow. Thomas Massie is fucking insane. This has to be one of the worst ideas I've ever heard, and I've heard some real whoppers in my time. I'm pretty sure if you look through all the bills proposed by every Representative in Congress, you'll find a lot of insane stuff, but almost all of it has zero chance of going anywhere.

mistrial9 5y ago
why does it exist if it has zero chance? I will answer, it does have a chance, just a small one.. and the rewards are so large, it keeps happening. I stood vocally against software patents in the early 90s California, only to have Barbarians from the North make the World's Richest Man for twenty years straight. How is Chapter XXIII going? guess what...
- tablespoon 5y ago
  > why does it exist if it has zero chance? I will answer, it does have a chance, just a small one.. and the rewards are so large, it keeps happening. Not necessarily, a bill can have value that's computed from something other than its expected chance of passing: 1. an inexpensive sop [1] to some constituency or interest group, 2. a psychologically-pleasing expression of genuinely-held beliefs that are out of step with the consensus, 3. a decoy meant to make some other bill look more reasonable in comparison, 4. legislative make-work, 5. etc. [1] "something of little importance or value that is offered to stop complaints or unhappiness" https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sop https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/sop
  - mistrial9 5y ago
    ok good call -- but I think number three there is most likely in practice here.. monetary license bills don't seem like a candidate for "sincerely held beliefs" to me
    - tablespoon 5y ago
      > ok good call -- but I think number three there is most likely in practice here.. Then what's the other bill then? I think it's more likely something 1., 2. or 5. (which I just added after your comment), given the backers of the bill are in the minority and likely have little influence on anything, given the current levels of political polarization. > monetary license bills don't seem like a candidate for "sincerely held beliefs" to me Looking at the sponsors (Massie (R-KY), Gohmert (R-TX), Gosar (R-AZ), and McClintock (R-CA)), they seem like they're on the right wing of the Republican party. It's totally believable this might be some kind of reflection of "sincerely held beliefs" in property rights. Edit: Sayeth the Wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Massie#Other https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Massie#Other > Massie describes himself as a constitutional conservative. He believes in intellectual property and thinks it is necessary for incentivizing innovation. Massie has remarked that this is one of the areas where he is not a libertarian.

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gorbachev 5y ago

I bet if you did some research you'd find he's not insane, but that he has substantial financial ties to companies/people, who would benefit from this.

woodruffw 5y ago
I think it's safe to assume "insane" here is a stand-in for "insane to put those interests ahead of those of his constituents." That is, of course, if you accept that he considers his voting bloc his constituents in the first place.

hhaha88 5y ago

GOP wants everyone to take it to the courts they’ve stacked in their favor, where defendants can be litigated with cash Treasury prints for their friends.