"Nieminen Juha" <war### [at] sarakerttunencstutfi> wrote :
>
>   Patenting an algorithm will just make sure that it will not become
popular
> and that it will not be developed much further. It will also not get you
> lots of money.
>

    The first part of this statement may be correct, but I bet the rest is
false. Private industry and government uses things that we just don't have
access to, and probably don't really need. But they make money for the
people who need them and use them. If there is a manufacturing process that
uses a particular algorithm, patenting that will prevent someone else from
using it to run you out of business. So what if it's not "popular"? Popular
doesn't bring home any bacon unless you can convert it into cash. "Useful"
is much easier to convert into cash and if you want to make money by being
the -most- "useful", you don't -give- away your secrets.

    Making something useful and giving it away is a good tactic if your goal
is to make a name for yourself and then cash in on that name by getting a
job doing something else. But it is not the -only- good tactic.

Post a reply to this message