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Public Patents?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the non-profit-idea-proliferation dept.

Lettuce asks: "While driving along today, I was mulling over patents. One of the problems with patents, from an open source perspective, is they cost money to acquire. Not only do you have to pay the Patent Office for them, you usually need to obtain the services of some lawyer. Which means you'll usually never see someone patent an idea just so that it can be public domain. What if we lobby our congressmen and senators to wave the charges for patents and even provide patent assistance, for those of us who would patent an idea for the public. With that simple change, couldn't people could flood the patent office with simple ideas and prevent abusers from patenting obvious ideas such as 'delivering e-mail to a wireless device'?"

3 of 105 comments (clear)

  1. No by Odocoileus · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I also pondered this before. Sadly, I just don't believe there is any way in hell it will ever happen.

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  2. Public Domain by drfrog · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Im sure one can submit a patent and release it under public domain

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    back in the day we didnt have no old school
  3. Black and white itt is not by heinousjay · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Everything is obvious and non-patentable. In retrospect.

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