I think this bit of goodness is the exception, not the rule. Look at all the patent trolling going on (Lodsys). Look at the monster patent portfolios being built (Google, Apple, Oracle, Microsoft, Nortel consortium) to attack and defend.
At the very least, patent durations are crazy long for software. 14-20 years depending on circumstances. Amazon's 1 click patent was filed in 1997, expires in 2017. Is that sane in any way? Firstly, that it was awarded in the first place. Secondly - 20 years in software? Oh and I love the latest "tweak" to the patent system. First to file instead of First to Invent? http://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-patent-system-to-transform-from-first-to-invent-to-first-to-file-avi-biopharma-and-xoma-look-to-benefit-2012-05-04 Patent system rewards the big and the rich, not the independents. The rich/big co's are the only ones who have the money to file and defend. It's a fact that almost every software company violates many patents. You just don't know it because you'd have to spend tons of time researching them + there are tons of ridiculous/obvious patents that you can't help but violate + the act of researching patents makes you more liable because you "know" about breaking them. whole system is junk! i enjoyed these podcast episodes where the host (John Siracusa eviscerates the patent system): http://5by5.tv/hypercritical/67 http://5by5.tv/hypercritical/68 I enjoy almost all the episodes, good podcast if you can handle him spending 50% of the time on Apple stuff. I forget which one hit the patents harder, probably #67 On Fri, Jun 8, 2012 at 2:36 PM, Cédric Beust ♔ <[email protected]> wrote: > On Fri, Jun 8, 2012 at 1:23 PM, Fabrizio Giudici > <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> So, does it seem that there's some chance that the legal system can >> regulate itself? > > > Like I've been saying for quite a while, it's been regulating itself for > quite a while because > > 1) Software innovation seems to be blooming in the US > 2) Yes, trash patents get awarded all the time, but the number of them that > lead to outrageous verdicts compared to the number of them that don't even > make it to court is vanishingly small > > The simple fact that Android happened at all is a good example that the > system seems to be working just fine (it could use some tuning, though, as > we discussed over and over again on this list a few months ago, so I won't > go over this again). > > -- > Cédric > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Java Posse" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
