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FTC Issues Report Critical Of Patent Policy
hayek writes "The Federal Trade Commission issued a report yesterday regarding failings in current U.S. patent policy. Among other things, the FTC recommends that the burden of proof on parties challenging patents in court be lowered from the current 'clear and convincing' standard, to the easier 'preponderance of the evidence' standard. Even if you don't think the FTC recommendations go far enough, implementing them would be a good start to solving some of the problems caused by the current system." nolife points out a report at Law.com indicating that, under the current system, "Patent examiners have from 8 to 25 hours to read and understand each application, search for prior art, evaluate patentability, communicate with the applicant, work out necessary revisions, and reach and write up conclusions."
Yeah biatch!
What's the problem with making money, or trying to do? I dig that he doesn't want to be affiliated with those who "break into other peoples' computers", but what's why does hacking become less noble if you make a living from it? Why are you no longer worthy of using a symbol of hackerdom just because you want to be able to eat?
I'd rather be lucky than good.
Executive Summary
;)
Official Press Release
Full Report: Promote Innovation: The Proper Balance of Competition and Patent Law and Policy
A Report by the Federal Trade Commission, October 2003
Of course, it would have been nice if some one had submitted this article yesterday.
2003-10-28 18:40:17 FTC Issues Report on Competition and Patent Policy (articles,patents) (rejected)
"We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." --The American President (20.1.2009)
This is actually good for most "corporate interests," the main exception being software and pharma companies. Since their employees contribute roughly equally to Democrats and Republicans, it's not a huge political issue to Bush. Now, oil...
Here's the Story: In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over asking for a carry out at check register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.
Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road.
Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible. He pressed and and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday.
That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, lets take the kids with us." She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had a older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair.
He was born a paraplegic with down syndrome. Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities. Just like her first husband and father of her children did.
That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the rest room, he picked him up out of his chair, took him, brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with. A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added two more kids.
So what happened to the stock boy and check out girl? Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner, now live in St. Louis, where he is employed by the St. Louis Rams and plays quarterback.
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> YOU FAIL IT!
Exactly.
huh?
"I have a porkchop, you have a porkchop. I have a veal, you have a veal".
Oh, just give up on the term "hacker." Most people equate "hacker" with "computer criminal" and you are not going to change that.
I don't care how much you want and whine about the term "cracker." The general population has decided what the word "hacker" means and your definition lost. Pick a new one.
Once a definition has been decided it has a tendency to stick even if the Special Interest Group is forceful in changing it. "Queer" still means "Homosexual" (at least in part) even if we came up with the new, improved, prefered term "Gay." You don't want to be thought of as computer criminals? Get the general public to think of a new word (or new defintion of an old word) when they think of your definition of "hacker." Because they ain't going to change their definition of "hacker" to make you happy.
Maybe then you can work on a logo. (And, BTW, the Go/Othelo/Life logo is pretty stupid anyhow. You want a logo? Get one that is cute and personable, like the Penguin or Daemon.) But don't worry about a logo right now. The Hacker community has bigger public relations problems.