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The fact that trajectories are being patented at all is what I took away from this. That's astounding in it's ridiculousness. I assumed that was why this was po
by freshhawk 14y ago
The fact that trajectories are being patented at all is what I took away from this. That's astounding in it's ridiculousness. I assumed that was why this was posted.
Your analogy makes no sense, the failed launch has nothing to do with the patent, the patent just stopped an attempt at saving the satellite. So more like the factory caught on fire and no firetrucks could come because a competing factory had patented the route from the firehouse.
- onosendai 14y agoAgreed, this whole patent nonsense has officially crossed over into dystopian sci-fi territory. Steve laid down his MacPad Pro next to the water cooler and hailed Tom over. "Guess what, I took the A9 this morning, I don't know why I don't do it more often, no traffic, no headaches, pure bliss." Tom eyed him with a frown, waiting a couple of seconds before replying. "The A9? You have a family Steve, aren't you worried about them?" "What do you mean?" "Don't you know that entire route is patented? What happens if your plates' RFID tag comes up in a random check and they find out you haven't licensed it? The lawsuit would drag you under for sure."
- Retric 14y agoTrajectories can be both useful and non obvious so I can see the patent angle. Think of it like this someone had to come up with this orbit 30 years after we started putting satellites in geosynchronous orbit's or the patent would have expired. And they only get to keep the patent for 20 years so any of the early 'gold rush' patents should have expired.
- fijal 14y agoPatents are also required not to be discoveries. I claim the orbit existed long before the Boeing company was funded.
- Retric 14y agoUnlike say genetic patents noting natural can make these maneuvers as they require one or more fuel burns to make the transitions from orbit A to orbit B.
- ajuc 14y agoSo, can I patent route that ship takes through the ocean? Or air corridor?
- Retric 14y agoThere is prior art for most useful and static trade routes. However, you could probably patent a system that uses real time satellite imagery to discover the location and magnitude of ocean currents, predict what they will be for the next week, and then calculate the the ideal routes for a fleet of cargo ships in real time. But, the patent is only going to last 20 years and shipping companies would probably just wait you out. Then again, I expect that patent probably exists and expired a long time ago.
- ajuc 14y agoYeah, but assume I've patented the system for calculating etc, etc the route, and the patent had not expired yet. If somebody else used the same equations I've used, but made the calculation on his abakus, and steered his ship by himself, he wouldn't infringe my patent, I think.
- gaius 14y agoThat's astounding in it's ridiculousness Indeed, which is why it's not what happened. Repeat after me: you cannot patent an idea, only a mechanism for implementing an idea.
- regularfry 14y agohttp://www.google.com/patents?vid=6116545 http://www.google.com/patents?vid=6116545
- roc 14y agoExcept for business method patents.
- freshhawk 14y agoI'll repeat it as much as you want, will that make business method patents go away? The patent in question is for the idea of "moving a satellite" using the mechanism of a certain class of trajectories. So how is this not what happened?