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How Do I Secure An IP, While Leaving Options Open?
Tiger4 writes "Let's say I have a photograph, or a television script, or have finally perfected the water-to-gasoline conversion process, or some other piece of non-software but copywritable or patentable IP. I know I want it secured in my name, on this date, in a provable and verifiable way. But being an Open Source, free-to-the world sort of person, I'm willing to share my knowledge to the world, as long as all credit points unambiguously to me. Any attempts at theft could, would, and must be immediately rebuffed by my offer of proof from when I first secured the IP. What, if any, tool or method is available to me in the digital world? MD5 and the like are available to show that copied files are the same as the original source, but they don't show time of authorship unambiguously. The same with Public Key crypto. I could lock it up with a time stamp, but what prevents me from faking the stamp that locks the file? Is there a way to homestead a little chunk of time with my IP's name on it?"
Maybe it's simpler than all that. Ask yourself, "What would Linus do?"
First go to http://www.moanmyip.com/ and check out what your IP actually is. Then buy one of those marvellous solutions (from one of those popups you get surfing with Internet Explorer) to keep you safe from teh evil online intarweb haxors who can attack you, because
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