Appeals court ponders Microsoft patent case

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Yes, patents protect large corporations...

... from being sued and they also are resources in negotiations among corporations.
But they also are a way of controlling the market, and any large company would be foolish to miss that chance. I believe another article here observed that a large company (not Microsoft) has been submitting 11 patent applications a day. Any company that didn't care about patents in the past has come to understand their importance.

I think the patent office will have a difficult time identifying prior art and determining what's original. To date, they have erred on the side of not rejecting applications, but that may change. There's as much danger on the other side; some people seem to think that any logical consequence of an idea cannot be a new idea. That would make just about nothing patentable.
The courts and administrators may need another 20 years to reach an efficient approach.

But that effort is worth it.
The US is a country whose main product (aside from person to person services) is going to be IP. Doesn't mean manufacturing is gone, but, like farming, it will be far from a major employer countrywide.
IP is worthless unless it generates revenue.
Patents are a good way to generate revenue from IP.
Therefore, patents, including software patents, are an essential part of the US economy.
As a consequence, it's going to be necessary for the US government to push hard for enforcement of IP rights (including copyright) whenever and wherever possible.

If you start from wanting the greatest good for the greatest number of people, you have to favor software patents. And endure all the messiness that follows from that conclusion.

Posted by: Anton Philidor   Posted on: 12/10/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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