I thought that in capitalism, we reward those with harder jobs who perform well because otherwise "no one would do them." Why are we rewarding one type of hard work and not the other? Why is it that culturally, we reward people who run companies or appear on our newly invented hi-def TV screens screens, but we don't reward the people who make any of this technology possible? I'd like to thank you, though. I now know that if I end up in a corporate job, I should only surrender my mundane ideas to those greedy fucks.
You've confused capitalism with your sense of morality. Capitalism is amoral; it's about initiative and incentives, not justice, not equality, not peace on Earth.
Large corporations engage in commerce, the quintessential capitalist activity. With respect to how companies are run, the model is more akin to feudalism than capitalism.
The Screen Savers was not a science show at all. Their niche is computer technology, Internet, gadgets and other similar areas. I would suggest that they no more missed doing stories on major developments in number theory than they did in reporting on new art exhibits at the Guggenheim. Science simply wasn't its bailiwick.
They are not clueless. They are overworked. Just like journalists and teachers who do a bad job.
Overworked? They work for the federal government. They're not there burning the midnight oil. Just try calling them at 5:05pm. Journalists and teachers who do a bad job should find something more in line with their aptitude.
First of all, you have to know what you are talking about to file a patent. Probably the people who originally filed this patent, the inventor(s) (Claudio R Ballard from Lloyd Harbor, NY, wherever that is), worked for a small company with a good idea.
Probably? Inventors? What did they invent that didn't already exist? Did they invent anything at all? They lent their names to a patent application because an "inventor" needs to be named. There's no "invention" here.
So, you could become like Edwin Armstrong, the guy who invented FM radio. And superheterodyne, and superregenerative circuits, and other stuff. He jumped out of a hotel window in 1954 after being shafted out of all of his companies and patents by large corps, like RCA. (See the documentary 'Empire of the Airwaves'.)
Armstrong actually invented something. You can't say that about DataTreasury.
Or like Charles Goodyear. The inventor of vulcanized rubber died penniless. (The company Goodyear was founded years after he was gone.)
See Armstrong comments.
OK, so that's the inventor's point of view.
There are no inventors in this fairy tale. The only hard work went into researching business methods used by banks and existing patents.
I don't think the wool has been pulled over the eyes of anybody. The court system in the US is more tolerant of such foolishness but that doesn't mean SCO will prevail.
The article isn't about competitive advantages, artificial or otherwise. It's about the IP infringement business model now common in the technology sector expanding to financial services.
The clueless US Patent Office issues a patent on remotely storing and retrieving financial transaction in electronic form. This idea did not stem from DataTreasury Corporation but it does have the patent on it. Nor does it have an actual system that does any of that activity (although, they could probably cobble the equipment and software off the shelf to do just that with a little programming thrown in).
DataTreasury "banks" on the fact that over turning the patent is much cheaper than settling with them. According to the article, they at least one settlement for as low as $50,000. To most people, that's not chump change but for a bank or other major financial institution, it's the price of getting rid of a nuisance.
The bigger problem is that this model will expand into more and more areas of that affect our daily lives. You have these IP parasites gaming the system, not real innovators, and soaking up easy money for the price of a patent application.
I don't expect this to go on indefinitely because the greediness of these IP parasites will eventually draw the attention of politicians. Unfortunately, the political response may be unequal the problem and the real innovators could be hurt as much as the parasites.
None of this would be necessary if the patent office staff was competent.
You may have to wait longer than 2024 because the likelihood that Disney doesn't appeal to congress for an extention of copyright is nil. The probability that Disney Inc. get$ it i$ very high.
Well, it was not on the mouse itself but rather the use of the mouse and it was issued this year, not last year as I originally posted. If you click the mouse "normally", you get one type of behavior. If you hold the mouse for more longer period of time, you get a different behavior. If you click more than once, you get another type of behavior. Read patent number 6,727,830 and weep.
The key phrase as I see it is "untested patents".
Last year, Microsoft received a patent on the computer mouse which may seem ridiculous to many who know that the computer mouse pre-dates MS by at least 10 years. I think we can safely say that their patent on the computer mouse is untested in the courts. However, MS can certainly assert that use of mice with Linux or any other non-MS OS or application is an infringement on their IP unless specifically licensed to use their "invention."
My physic professor in college wistfully relayed a story of driving to Oakridge Tennessee where a cyclotron surrounded the campus. It reminded him of his student days at California in the 30's when he held the first cyclotron in his hands.
Well, I would forego installing Windows and just go for the upgrade, since it's so much cheaper. I'm sure MS would accomodate in order to keep Linux at bay.
Slashdot Mirror
Consulting with their attorneys.
Large corporations engage in commerce, the quintessential capitalist activity. With respect to how companies are run, the model is more akin to feudalism than capitalism.
I too prefer personal avarice to the corporate variety. It's so cold and informal, not like hot footing down to the Mercedes dealership.
"Let a thousand flowers bloom."
Telling somebody that is akin to explaining the difference between free speech and free beer. It goes in one ear and out the other.
Do you work at the same place?
/, who/, s/No not me,/No, not me./ and s/BS/B.S./g
s/, that
My problem was carpal tunnel syndrome brought on by overuse of the toilet brush. I thought I had a chance at getting to the 15th interview.
The Screen Savers was not a science show at all. Their niche is computer technology, Internet, gadgets and other similar areas. I would suggest that they no more missed doing stories on major developments in number theory than they did in reporting on new art exhibits at the Guggenheim. Science simply wasn't its bailiwick.
I don't equate amassing wealth is neither a virtue nor a vice.
....
However, the means of attaining it
I don't think the wool has been pulled over the eyes of anybody. The court system in the US is more tolerant of such foolishness but that doesn't mean SCO will prevail.
The article isn't about competitive advantages, artificial or otherwise. It's about the IP infringement business model now common in the technology sector expanding to financial services.
The clueless US Patent Office issues a patent on remotely storing and retrieving financial transaction in electronic form. This idea did not stem from DataTreasury Corporation but it does have the patent on it. Nor does it have an actual system that does any of that activity (although, they could probably cobble the equipment and software off the shelf to do just that with a little programming thrown in).
DataTreasury "banks" on the fact that over turning the patent is much cheaper than settling with them. According to the article, they at least one settlement for as low as $50,000. To most people, that's not chump change but for a bank or other major financial institution, it's the price of getting rid of a nuisance.
The bigger problem is that this model will expand into more and more areas of that affect our daily lives. You have these IP parasites gaming the system, not real innovators, and soaking up easy money for the price of a patent application.
I don't expect this to go on indefinitely because the greediness of these IP parasites will eventually draw the attention of politicians. Unfortunately, the political response may be unequal the problem and the real innovators could be hurt as much as the parasites.
None of this would be necessary if the patent office staff was competent.
Let me know when MS does something right. That will be news.
I think you underestimate the economic and political clout of the house of mouse.
You may have to wait longer than 2024 because the likelihood that Disney doesn't appeal to congress for an extention of copyright is nil. The probability that Disney Inc. get$ it i$ very high.
I dunno. Does it have an apocalyptic ending? It ain't true anime without it.
As with most patent applications, the description is broad enough (vague if you like) to apply to any push buttons, including those on mouse.
Well, it was not on the mouse itself but rather the use of the mouse and it was issued this year, not last year as I originally posted. If you click the mouse "normally", you get one type of behavior. If you hold the mouse for more longer period of time, you get a different behavior. If you click more than once, you get another type of behavior. Read patent number 6,727,830 and weep.
And editors that allow the user to open a shell, like vim, are tantamount to giving root access to the user.
The key phrase as I see it is "untested patents". Last year, Microsoft received a patent on the computer mouse which may seem ridiculous to many who know that the computer mouse pre-dates MS by at least 10 years. I think we can safely say that their patent on the computer mouse is untested in the courts. However, MS can certainly assert that use of mice with Linux or any other non-MS OS or application is an infringement on their IP unless specifically licensed to use their "invention."
My physic professor in college wistfully relayed a story of driving to Oakridge Tennessee where a cyclotron surrounded the campus. It reminded him of his student days at California in the 30's when he held the first cyclotron in his hands.
Well, I would forego installing Windows and just go for the upgrade, since it's so much cheaper. I'm sure MS would accomodate in order to keep Linux at bay.
Raise the dead!
Trouble is that AMD's run much hotter than their Intel counterparts at higher clockspeeds.