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The Dark Side of the Tech Patent Wars

Posted by Soulskill on from the is-there-a-light-side dept.

GMGruman writes "Bill Snyder warns that the tech patent wars are going nuclear, and could vaporize tech jobs in the process. He likens the situation to medicine, where so much money now goes to pay for insurance and 'defensive medicine,' rather than for actual care. In the tech world, he fears that the same will occur with patents, forcing companies to spend ever more money on patents and lawyers — and less on innovation and staff."

4 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. positive feedback increasing number of lawyers by RichMan · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From a systems perspective the system is designed to requrie a lawyer. And the lawyers are in control of that requirement.
    Until negative feedback can be applied somehow this system is just going to keep on requireing more lawyers.

    1. Re:positive feedback increasing number of lawyers by Bob9113 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What is the .357 magnum a metaphor for?

      Justice? :)

      Look, we're tarring with a single brush, but it really isn't that broad. Fact is, your industry is doing serious damage to our society, and profiting from the damage. That is reasonable cause for some pretty serious backlash.

      You may be innocent, you may be one of the good guys. Maybe you are working to fix the problem. Maybe you are not, but you have convinced yourself that being a part of the system does not mean you condone it. Maybe you work in a corner of law that is not quite so seriously screwed up by your kin. If one of those things is the case, and that is enough for you, then relax, we're not talking about you.

      If you want us to believe that lawyers, in general, are not worthy of society's scorn, well, simple fact is you are wrong, and it is not going to happen.

      If you want us to express fondness for you, despite your profession, then you've got to tell us why you are not part of the problem. Same treatment you would get if you were a congressman or an Abu Ghraib guard.

      This is how cultures deal with internal threats that cannot be easily handled through official channels. We ostracize them. You can get special dispensation, but you have to ask for it, and explain why you deserve it.

      --
      Stop-Prism.org: Opt Out of Surveillance
  2. Re:Dark side? by arth1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The bright side is that the people who innovated to make the patents are being compensated for their efforts.

    Are they, now? Please show me a list of wealthy inventors, and not just wealthy patent holders.

  3. Re:Dark side? by spikenerd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Would you prefer if Google could use other people's innovations without compensating them?

    Yes. I am an innovator. To build something truly useful, I must build upon the work of at least twelve others. If I have to pay royalties to them all, there's no way the royalties I collect will ever cover it. But I don't do it for the money. I do it because I am an innovator. I will innovate if I am compensate. I will innovate if I am not compensated. I will innovate even if I have to pay for the privilege of using my own brain. Google has demonstrated that they are (to some extent) of the same stock as me, and I think we'd all make more progress if we could pursue our passion to innovate without fear. If those who only innovate for money abandoned the game, that's okay with me--they are lousy innovators anyway.