In my observation, a patent for a real invention can be very valuable On the other hand, a patent might be issued for something that isn't really an invention (as Randy says) - sure, it's a patent, but it has little value.
I'm told venture capitalists like patents I sometimes apply for a patent with no intention of actually getting one just to stop anyone patenting against me - it's easy to do, and normally competitors won't see it, whereas they might notice a peer-reviewed paper. Patent examiners *ought *to look at papers, but in practice, they mainly look at other patents and patent applications. Patents don't really apply to academics in practice. Patents shouldn't be issued for things that are obvious https://new.epo.org/en/legal/guidelines-epc/2023/g_vii_4.html Patrick On Fri, Jul 28, 2023 at 9:37 AM Randy John Read <[email protected]> wrote: > I get the impression that these days you can patent just about anything, > and instead of challenging your claims the patent examiners leave it to be > settled later. A few years (probably one or two decades!) ago someone > managed to patent the idea of a difference Fourier to detect binding, > ignoring the many decades of prior art. As far as I am aware no-one ever > tried to enforce that patent. > > Randy > > > On 28 Jul 2023, at 09:17, Winter, Graeme (DLSLtd,RAL,LSCI) < > [email protected]> wrote: > > > > Discussion topics: > > > > - does this have any hope of being enforced since - as you point out - > it is a pretty obvious next step from X-rays > > - does anyone else who is _already doing this_ care > > - should we (individuals, not community) be patenting the obvious / > ideas / “inventions” just in case? > > > > (well aware that the authors of said patent will wake up to this in a > few hours) > > > > Personally, I am not comfortable with this, but maybe I am a dinosaur? > > > > Graeme > > > >> On 28 Jul 2023, at 09:13, Tim Gruene <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > >> Hi Graeme, > >> > >> do you want to discuss whether obvious steps can be patented? > >> > >> Cheers, > >> Tim > >> > >> > >> On Fri, 28 Jul 2023 07:45:38 +0000 "Winter, Graeme (DLSLtd,RAL,LSCI)" > >> <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > >>> Interesting > >>> > >>> https://www.freepatentsonline.com/20230228695.pdf > >>> > >>> Patent for use of electron diffraction to assess ligand binding > >>> > >>> Stumbled across this because the patent application cites my work - > >>> felt that this would be of interest to the community > >>> > >>> … discuss? > >>> > >>> Graeme > >>> > >>> > >> > >> > >> > >> -- > >> -- > >> Tim Gruene > >> Head of the Centre for X-ray Structure Analysis > >> Faculty of Chemistry > >> University of Vienna > >> > >> Phone: +43-1-4277-70202 > >> > >> GPG Key ID = A46BEE1A > >> > >> ######################################################################## > >> > >> To unsubscribe from the CCP4BB list, click the following link: > >> https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/WA-JISC.exe?SUBED1=CCP4BB&A=1 > >> > >> This message was issued to members of http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/CCP4BB, > a mailing list hosted by http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/, terms & conditions > are available at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/policyandsecurity/ > > > > > > -- > > This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential, copyright and > or privileged material, and are for the use of the intended addressee only. > If you are not the intended addressee or an authorised recipient of the > addressee please notify us of receipt by returning the e-mail and do not > use, copy, retain, distribute or disclose the information in or attached to > the e-mail. > > Any opinions expressed within this e-mail are those of the individual > and not necessarily of Diamond Light Source Ltd. > > Diamond Light Source Ltd. cannot guarantee that this e-mail or any > attachments are free from viruses and we cannot accept liability for any > damage which you may sustain as a result of software viruses which may be > transmitted in or with the message. > > Diamond Light Source Limited (company no. 4375679). Registered in > England and Wales with its registered office at Diamond House, Harwell > Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 0DE, United Kingdom > > > > > > ######################################################################## > > > > To unsubscribe from the CCP4BB list, click the following link: > > https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/WA-JISC.exe?SUBED1=CCP4BB&A=1 > > > > This message was issued to members of http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/CCP4BB, > a mailing list hosted by http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/, terms & conditions > are available at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/policyandsecurity/ > > ----- > Randy J. 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