Fishing for Ideas

FyreWyr writes "Whether Microsoft is searching for new ideas, or supporting inventors outright is up for grabs, but they're stabbing at it with $300,000 for 12 spanking ideas (that's $25k each). But as with everything Microsoft, the devil's in the details, or rather, the fine print. At first, you'd swear it was "Brought to you by VISA" - the logo is ubiquitous - but the very last statement in the contest rules reads: "The sponsor...is Microsoft ... VISA...have not sponsored or offered this contest in any way". They also retain a spectrum of rights, and responsibily suggest that you go out and patent really good ideas first. Okay, how much does that cost again? (see end of this article)."

Comments

At least they're honest.

[jesco]

At least MS is honest and tells you to go and patent your idea, or they'll steal it from you. An honest thief, one could say... ;)

For Microsoft

[ShishCoBob]

How about security for Microsoft? Now there is an idea.

Here's my idea

[Anonymous Coward]

Software with frickin' laser beams on its head

Development costs

[rf0]

I think MS is being quite clever here (can't believe I just wrote that). The way I'm seeing it is that they are basically doing product development on 12 new products for $300,000. If you actually look at the amount of time/development that goes on in big coporation you will find that 90% of the things reasearched never come to fruition. Going from what MS is offering is that if they can just get one of these ideas of the ground then they might have a killer product for very little investment.

As for the rules well that is another discussion totally

Rus

A patent won't help you

[Anonymous Coward]

Somebody wrote "Patent your idea or Microsoft will steal it." Actually NOTHING will stop Microsoft from "stealing" it, not even a patent. Microsoft recommends a patent so that OTHER people who view the site won't steal it, but Microsoft also explicitly states that by submitting your idea:

By entering, each entrant forfeits to Sponsor all rights to content of his/her entry (including the essay) and the concepts embodied therein. Entrant unconditionally assigns and transfers to Sponsor all rights, title, interest and claim, which it now has or may in the future have to the entries or any element(s) thereafter including, without limitation, the copyright therein. Sponsor shall have right to use, alter, assign or dispose of such entries however it sees fit without approval of entrants.

In other words, it doesn't matter what kind of rights and title (including patents or copyright) you have (actually "had") on your entry. You forfeit all of it when you submit -- basically you would be transferring your patent to Microsoft.

and in tiny tiny print, it reads...

[shawnywany]

'offer expires 1983'

You are, Number Six

[John Leeming]

Interesting to note on the section 6 "General Conditions" segment the heart of the problem.


By entering, each entrant forfeits to Sponsor all rights to content of his/her entry (including the essay) and the concepts embodied therein. Entrant unconditionally assigns and transfers to Sponsor all rights, title, interest and claim, which it now has or may in the future have to the entries or any element(s) thereafter including, without limitation, the copyright therein. Sponsor shall have right to use, alter, assign or dispose of such entries however it sees fit without approval of entrants. Permission is also granted for Sponsor to publish entry in perpetuity in any medium it may see fit including, but not limited to, website, television, radio and/or printed materials. Entrants shall not receive any compensation or credit for use of entries, other than that disclosed in these rules. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules.


The idea must be new and unpublished, but at the same time, all your rights are belong to Microsoft. So, even if you own a patent or trademark on it, by entering, you are:

1. Disqualified automatically
   
2. Lose all interest in the concept
   
3. Lose any right to sue/earn from this contest aside from the prize money
   

What a concept! Win by losing! That's the Microsoft way!

It finally happened!!

[Sophrosyne]

Microsoft finally ran out of things to steal from Xerox Parc and Apple!

Re:It finally happened!!

[LucidityZero]

Microsoft finally ran out of things to steal from Xerox Parc and Apple!

They're moving onto the Linux community. They figure we're stupid enough to build our own software for free, so maybe we'll build their's too!

Not a technical competition

[woodja]

From what I can tell from the entries so far the competition isn't for technical ideas. It is mostly social ideas, like starting a school program or helping out in a third world country. I would not expect to see their target audience submit an idea for developing a new video compression technique.

I personally would not bash Microsoft or Visa for this one. The aim is promote MSN and Visa, not a way to get ideas for free. Besides, I highly doubt Microsoft would be able to patent a method for paying off Grandma's medical bills.

It's even worse!

[Coward, Anonymous]

The sponsor...is Microsoft ... VISA...have not sponsored or offered this contest in any way

Not only that, it also states: "Puerto Rico... to... become the property of Microsoft Corporation"

There's an age restriction!

[Espressoman]

I'm 32, which is too old to have an idea. Apparently ideas come from 18-29 year olds...

Are they honest or just desperate?

[Dukeofshadows]

It seems a far cry from the days of Q-DOS in 1981 when Gates and Co were trying to sell an operating system they didn't technically own at the time to IBM. They were a much more nimble company in those days and had plenty of ideas and developments to go scour and steal. Lately, however, the Standard Oil of the Computer industry is encounrtering the same problems as its turn-of-the-previous century counterpart: government is on its back, the "innovation" that got it where it is seems to have disappeared (Rockefeller consolidating oil pipelines and refineries together), and the public at large is disgruntled but left with few alternatives.

Microsoft is not run by idiots. They realize that if they are to compete against systems like Linux they need to innovate before Linux develops a truly AOL level interface that even Joe Schmoe can use...for free. Bad press and a worse reputation have finally gotten their attention, so their asking for ideas to investigate. It would seem that their age range (based on the prize offered) is 16-25, just the right age when people are thinking way outside the box and are not limited by knowledge of what should not be possible. These (maverick?) thinkers tend to give the most innovative ideas but also the ones that need the most work to come to fruition. If Microsoft can cull this source of innovation while reaping the profits from it, they could set themselves up as a potential warehouse for new tech ideas. A wiser plan would have been to offer 5-10% of all profits made from the idea in addition to the $25k since that would get more cynical programmers and worldly people interested, but the young and nieve seem to be the most easily exploited by definition. I have to wonder if this is not a sign of desperation by the Microsoft management though since they did drag in these same sorts of innovative thinkers by the truckload even 3 years ago. Even now they tend to snap up the best of the best offered by MIT and other major tech schools, but why would they need this sort of competition when they already have the best minds? Do those folks just have really good grades but an inability to think outside the box? Again, I have to wonder if this is not desperation for truly radical ideas as much as a desire to see what talent is out there.