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20, not 37
Patents are not a 20 year monopoly but were increased by 20 years in 1996. Today patents last for 37 years and prior to 1996 it was 17 years.

Your sources are wrong.

US patents last 20 years from application or 17 years from issue, whichever is shorter. The term of patents from the first Act establishing them was 17 years from issue, but abuses (look up Lemelson) led to the 20-year term from application.

http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc/general/index.html#patent

Other countries have different terms. 20 years is common.
Posted by: Yagotta B. Kidding   Posted on: 07/20/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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WTF Happened To The Spyware Story??!  itanalyst | 07/20/05
Yeah  Real World | 07/20/05
Yeah, and Squawkbox and Mikey Cox had ...  Judas I. | 07/20/05
The article is still there (search for antispyware)  Real World | 07/20/05
Please say it isn't so..  Patrick Jones | 07/20/05
Depends on when it was filed...  TheProtector | 07/20/05
I don't know about occasional  voska | 07/20/05
That pretty much covers it...  BitTwiddler | 07/20/05
Correcting the article  voska | 07/20/05
20, not 37  Yagotta B. Kidding | 07/20/05
That's good news then  voska | 07/20/05
Business model  Yagotta B. Kidding | 07/20/05
Ryan, what are you mumbling about?  FirstNLastN | 07/20/05
That was over 200 years ago  voska | 07/20/05
Oh I am sorry 200 years ago.  FirstNLastN | 07/20/05
Here is some trivia  osreinstall | 07/20/05
Thanx  voska | 07/20/05
Court became a trading floor and not a justice place  FirstNLastN | 07/20/05
Mysterious.  Anton Philidor | 07/20/05
Shhh... the illuminati.  TheProtector | 07/20/05
What about the little guys?  Chad_z | 07/20/05
And yet...  rapson | 07/20/05
Excellent Point Carl  No_Ax_to_Grind | 07/20/05
Re: Excellent Point Carl  none none | 07/21/05
Buying Microsoft Propaganda  rjriley | 01/31/06
What is made in the USA.  Anton Philidor | 07/20/05
Less every year  Yagotta B. Kidding | 07/20/05
I agree with this position  xshakes | 07/21/05
I think in order for something to be eligible for patent  Michael Kelly | 07/20/05
All patents must die [nt]  Omch'Ar | 07/20/05
The review process is the key.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 07/20/05
Idea has much merit.  Zinoron | 07/21/05
Software patents  voska | 07/21/05
Hmmm, so old open source patents should be tossed?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 07/21/05
Yep  rapson | 07/21/05
Again, it's a trust issue.  Michael Kelly | 07/21/05
Yes  rapson | 07/21/05
Yes!  Patrick Jones | 07/21/05
So in three years I can take anything I want from Linux.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 07/21/05
That's great, but now you're breaking a license!  CobraA1 | 07/21/05
Problems w/logic  CobraA1 | 07/21/05
Yes, Inventors Can Make Big Biz Cry  rjriley | 01/31/06
Predatory Companies  rjriley | 08/04/05

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