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Definitely agree — software patents should be abolished, full stop. They serve no purpose but to impede innovation and progress. I’d argue the same applies to
by infotainment 2y ago
Definitely agree — software patents should be abolished, full stop. They serve no purpose but to impede innovation and progress.
I’d argue the same applies to all patents; the world would be better off without them in general.
- lanstin 2y agoMaybe software patents require releasing the source code and last for a shorter term related to the pace of technological change. Then the incentive to share the advance is preserved instead of everything being a trade secret.
- bilsbie 2y agoThere’s not much in software that other people can’t figure out on their own though. Not too much social benefit in sharing.
- harimau777 2y agoAren't the details of algorithms usually secret? E.g. my understanding is that the primary value that Tik Tok brings to the table is their recommendation algorithm.
- plokiju 2y agoThe primary value of any social network is the network effect
- lanstin 2y agoI think Linux is a strong counter argument. And software might be simple to recreate, but it’s a shame to have so many smart folks spend time reinventing the wheel instead of building on each others work.
- account42 2y agoBut the value in Linux is not the innovation but the sheer effort to (re-)create it. Patents don't protect that at all, copyright does (not that I am arguing for copyright, it also causes more problems than it solves).
- mrcode007 2y agoThere are no software patents. https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/RT2%206-4%20Kim%20Rubin.pdf https://www.uspto.gov/sites/default/files/documents/RT2%206-...
- bdowling 2y agoIs there a video that goes with those slides?
- pc86 2y agoI mean look at slides 8 and 9. There is no such thing as a software patent. There is no such thing as a rubber patent. There is no such thing as a steel patent. There is no such thing as an electricity patent There is only ... a patent. OK fine, but there are patents covering applications of rubber, steel, electricity, and software. So either you think "well it's not a software patent, it's a patent that covers the application of some software" is a useful point to make, or you're being pedantic for pedantry's sake. To the former, I don't think that makes a difference to someone being sued by a patent troll.