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Look on the bright side. Soon sci-fi will be considered prior art! If I'm not mistaken, this has already happened with regards to "design" patents.
by noonespecial 13y ago
Look on the bright side. Soon sci-fi will be considered prior art! If I'm not mistaken, this has already happened with regards to "design" patents.
- erbo 13y agoIt has indeed. See the case of Charles Hall, who invented the modern waterbed in the 1970's, and was denied a patent on his invention because Robert Heinlein had already described the waterbed in novels as early as 1942: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/geek-trivia-strange-waterbedfellows/ http://www.techrepublic.com/article/geek-trivia-strange-wate...