On 5/16/2010 1:10 PM, Darren New wrote:
> Patrick Elliott wrote:
>> If we had had patents back during the original colonies, or earlier,
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent#History
>
Let me rephrase... If they had the kind of idiot patents we now see in 
Software, where you can make it stupidly vague, describe a set of 
instructions, rather than a physical thing, then sue everyone that even 
*sort of* does the same thing...

Good example, from the video. You have two data sets. Say X1, X2, X3. 
One is liking pets, second is "affectionate", third is.. I don't know, 
favorite color = red. You also also have the same data from someone 
else, Y1, Y2, Y3. You then so a fairly uncomplicated comparison on them. 
Nope, no patent here. Now.. ***Name*** the variables, say, Zip, Zop, and 
Zap. Put out a patent that says, "Comparing Zip, Zop and Zap to find 
"compatibility" between individuals with those traits, and suddenly it 
**is** patentable. You named them after all, which, according to the 
argument that led to most of this BS, makes the process "unique", not 
just basic fracking boolean math on a matrix of values.

This is how damn stupid things are right now. And, if you make it vague 
enough, you get some damn silly lawsuits, and people actually *winning*, 
or getting settlements, on the basis of such nonsense. You can't produce 
an inexpensive alternative to product X, if simply marketing it means 
you have to spent a million dollars to pay off all the people that show 
up to say, "Heh! We think that falls under out patents!"

Its irrelevant that, at one time, patents actually worked. Since they 
didn't allow the kinds of patents, until ****very recently****, that we 
see in software.

-- 
void main () {
   If Schrödingers_cat is alive or version > 98 {
     if version = "Vista" {
       call slow_by_half();
       call DRM_everything();
     }
     call functional_code();
   }
   else
     call crash_windows();
}

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