6 ms·

Can you provide some recent examples of where patents likely played a positive role in innovation?

anonymouskimmer 3y ago
Fifty years ago they paid for Xerox's PARC where WYSIWYG and GUI interfaces were first developed targeting a mass audience.
- nottorp 3y ago
  Iirc Apple paid (in Apple stock perhaps) but Microsoft didn't :)
- sophacles 3y ago
  Right, I was so glad when those patents expired because the Xerox monopoly on my computer usage was annoying.
  - anonymouskimmer 3y ago
    Specifically the Laser printer patents paid for PARC, and then some. As mentioned a few days ago by another commenter.
- kalleboo 3y ago
  By that logic we need to bring back a telephone monopoly since Bell Labs brought us so much innovation paid for by rip-off calling fees.
  - anonymouskimmer 3y ago
    By that logic if anything bad has ever resulted in anything good we have to keep doing the bad thing in magical hopes that it will keep causing good to happen.
AnimalMuppet 3y ago
Probably every pharmaceutical patent. In software? Um... <crickets>. (But you asked "where patents" and not "where software patents", so...)
- notfed 3y ago
  > Probably every pharmaceutical patent. Great, they've played their role, then. I'm ready for that stage to be over now. IMO if there's an incentive to manufacture distribute the product, let that be the incentive.
  - AnimalMuppet 3y ago
    To the degree that patents have led to the creation of new pharmaceuticals, you're ready to stop doing that? You're ready for progress in pharmaceuticals to stop where we are, because you don't want patents to exist any longer? I strongly disagree.
  - patmcc 3y ago
    Having ~zero new drugs introduced does not seem like a great thing? Unless you completely revamp how drug discovery and research is funded and driven, anyway.
- 8note 3y ago
  Pharmaceutical parents seems like an odd choice. Aren't most of those inventions driven by government funding at universities?
  - Exoristos 3y ago
    Yes, but they probably wouldn't be without patents to ensure income for the government's partners.
  - tick_tock_tick 3y ago
    No massive amount come from the private sector. Almost all the money used to get a hypothetically effective drug through the approval and trial process is private.
squeaky-clean 3y ago
ARM CPUs

Fifty years ago they paid for Xerox's PARC where WYSIWYG and GUI interfaces were first developed targeting a mass audience.

nottorp 3y ago
Iirc Apple paid (in Apple stock perhaps) but Microsoft didn't :)
sophacles 3y ago
Right, I was so glad when those patents expired because the Xerox monopoly on my computer usage was annoying.
- anonymouskimmer 3y ago
  Specifically the Laser printer patents paid for PARC, and then some. As mentioned a few days ago by another commenter.
kalleboo 3y ago
By that logic we need to bring back a telephone monopoly since Bell Labs brought us so much innovation paid for by rip-off calling fees.
- anonymouskimmer 3y ago
  By that logic if anything bad has ever resulted in anything good we have to keep doing the bad thing in magical hopes that it will keep causing good to happen.

AnimalMuppet 3y ago

Probably every pharmaceutical patent. In software? Um... <crickets>. (But you asked "where patents" and not "where software patents", so...)

notfed 3y ago
> Probably every pharmaceutical patent. Great, they've played their role, then. I'm ready for that stage to be over now. IMO if there's an incentive to manufacture distribute the product, let that be the incentive.
- AnimalMuppet 3y ago
  To the degree that patents have led to the creation of new pharmaceuticals, you're ready to stop doing that? You're ready for progress in pharmaceuticals to stop where we are, because you don't want patents to exist any longer? I strongly disagree.
- patmcc 3y ago
  Having ~zero new drugs introduced does not seem like a great thing? Unless you completely revamp how drug discovery and research is funded and driven, anyway.
8note 3y ago
Pharmaceutical parents seems like an odd choice. Aren't most of those inventions driven by government funding at universities?
- Exoristos 3y ago
  Yes, but they probably wouldn't be without patents to ensure income for the government's partners.
- tick_tock_tick 3y ago
  No massive amount come from the private sector. Almost all the money used to get a hypothetically effective drug through the approval and trial process is private.

squeaky-clean 3y ago

ARM CPUs