I said might not have been made and I was not necessarily arguing "for" the software patent system. I didn't say "would never have been made." I was merely speaking to the general principle that the patent system, screwed up as it is, can drive innovation to a point. For good or for bad. And that point was early in the history of software patents. I do believe that software patents are shit-useless and inhibit innovation now.
Forgive me for not being more thorough with my first post.
Without actually seeing the brief, TFA can take everything they want out of context. I'd just like to read the brief before I take a stance on what they're doing here. I'm ALL for open source and run multiple Linux machines, but the software patent realm is horribly messed up and yet necessary at the same time.
As much as I hate it, some great software has been developed under the patent system that otherwise might not have been made. A solution? I don't have it.
Yahoo! is currently the king of fantasy sports games (hey, fantasy sports = fantasy rpg in coolness) and it would be atrocious to see those disappear. Beautiful interface, quality, accuracy. These aren't generally MS stregnths.
I picked all 4 #1 seeds as well. Sure it's never happened before but the odds have got to be better than trying to pick which numbered seed is going to get in from each division.
The real test would be to look at the rest of the computer's bracket.
Moral Bankruptcy. People who put out the diarrhea they call movies have the moral flexibility of cooked pasta.
Or perhaps it's merely good business in the midst of the borderline-retarded masses. Hell, Norbit made around $159m in the theater with an additional $42m in DVD sales. Why put forth the effort to make a great movie when you can heap steaming piles of shit into a movie theater and make tons of cash?
Oh and on a side-note, it's one thing to get duped into seeing a shitty movie in the theater. It's something else to buy it on DVD and OWN it.
Hey thank you for your comment. I was definitely not trolling even though I knew the troll mod would be forthcoming. I did find TFA very interesting although I didn't find it to be especially earth-shattering...
Haha funny you mention that. Whatever your origin-of-life stance is, the point of my parent post is how is this article news? I mean anthropology can be interesting and all, but this seems like an underwhelming crossover into "news for nerds." This isn't earth shattering news for anyone, whether evolutionist or creationist.
I would say that it is a bit of a legal fiction (like an honest lawyer), but it also essentially the best concept we have - that is if you're of the type to agree with entitled-to-the-fruit-of-your-labor philosophies.
There are certainly faults with the system and even some of the concepts, but without a legal creation and definition, how else can ideas be protected? As with the concept of corporate personhood, sometimes it's a matter of convenience or at least a way to fit a different concept into an already established system (i.e., try to treat a corporation as a single person or protect an ethereal idea or concept as we would say chattels or a piece of land).
I went back and read my comment and now I'm not sure if it answered your question or not! I guess there's so much money and litigation over IP that I'm not going to be able to adequately encapsulate the idea in an/. post!:)
I'd better RTFA as well, but patent prosecution is one of the few areas where lawyers don't make an absolute killing relative to the client.
An "average" patent (basic electronics, software, mechanicals) costs between $4k and $8k in attorney's fees, plus the USPTO filing fees. Relative to the market potential, fees are minimal. That cost vs. reward is something the business, inventor, etc., must take into account when securing IP protection.
Biotech patents are another story but rarely go above $100k in fees. Assuming that a drug, for example, could bring in hundreds of millions+ in sales, the fees are pretty insignificant...
It's also a very rare situation that a lawyer will take an interest in the IP in exchange for services.
Noticing my offtopic mod, perhaps I didn't tailor my comment quite properly. There is rampant hacking of accounts for phishing and advertising purposes. One account will get hacked, then using that account, the hacker then sends out bulletins (mass emails to all friends) or comments saying to "click here" for numerous purposes including hacking future sites to send out more ads. When clicking on these sent out comments or bulletins, there will often be a phishing page where it looks like the user has logged out and needs to re-enter login and password info. Additionally, the unwitting 14 year old gives out his/her cell phone number and unknowingly signs up for a ringtone plan that is charged to their cell phone bill usually to the tune of $30/month.
The hacks are pretty interesting as they are socially viral and not necessarily driven by sofware or the transmission of a virus.
Maybe I need to RTFA, but this type of hacking has got to be the most prevalent type on Myspace.
The only time per year that I actually appreciate the switch is that glorious day in fall when you get to sleep in an extra hour. It lasts a couple days then no further benefit.
And that horrible, evil, upcoming day when we "spring" forward is a miserable, deplorable day for those of us who don't get along well with morning.
I completely agree. Believe me, there's no way in hell I'd act upon it. It would simply be interesting and a possible starting point for my own research.
I agree and am not really sure why you got flamed on that one. It's almost as if you made a pro MS comment or said something not entirely negative about Christianity!
Not that it would happen, but it would be great to see an initiative of thousands of people who would take the time to demand the service to which they are entitled, even if it meant doing exactly what your friend did.
Would things change in the face of so many support-hours being consumed?
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Forgive me for not being more thorough with my first post.
As much as I hate it, some great software has been developed under the patent system that otherwise might not have been made. A solution? I don't have it.
Yahoo! is currently the king of fantasy sports games (hey, fantasy sports = fantasy rpg in coolness) and it would be atrocious to see those disappear. Beautiful interface, quality, accuracy. These aren't generally MS stregnths.
The real test would be to look at the rest of the computer's bracket.
... they didn't take into account my 162 game hitting streak in "The Bigs" on PS3. With settings on easy.
What can Brown do for the US Government?
... but how about annual subscriptions to your favorite porn site? That might add a few users!
Or perhaps it's merely good business in the midst of the borderline-retarded masses. Hell, Norbit made around $159m in the theater with an additional $42m in DVD sales. Why put forth the effort to make a great movie when you can heap steaming piles of shit into a movie theater and make tons of cash?
Oh and on a side-note, it's one thing to get duped into seeing a shitty movie in the theater. It's something else to buy it on DVD and OWN it.
Hey thank you for your comment. I was definitely not trolling even though I knew the troll mod would be forthcoming. I did find TFA very interesting although I didn't find it to be especially earth-shattering...
Haha funny you mention that. Whatever your origin-of-life stance is, the point of my parent post is how is this article news? I mean anthropology can be interesting and all, but this seems like an underwhelming crossover into "news for nerds." This isn't earth shattering news for anyone, whether evolutionist or creationist.
... midgets (or little people if you prefer) existed many years ago?
Dude I totally agree. I was speaking primarily to patents. Admittedly I didn't RTFA... ;)
Hey, as long as they admit it after the fact, I'm perfectly ok with it. :)
There are certainly faults with the system and even some of the concepts, but without a legal creation and definition, how else can ideas be protected? As with the concept of corporate personhood, sometimes it's a matter of convenience or at least a way to fit a different concept into an already established system (i.e., try to treat a corporation as a single person or protect an ethereal idea or concept as we would say chattels or a piece of land).
I went back and read my comment and now I'm not sure if it answered your question or not! I guess there's so much money and litigation over IP that I'm not going to be able to adequately encapsulate the idea in an /. post! :)
An "average" patent (basic electronics, software, mechanicals) costs between $4k and $8k in attorney's fees, plus the USPTO filing fees. Relative to the market potential, fees are minimal. That cost vs. reward is something the business, inventor, etc., must take into account when securing IP protection.
Biotech patents are another story but rarely go above $100k in fees. Assuming that a drug, for example, could bring in hundreds of millions+ in sales, the fees are pretty insignificant...
It's also a very rare situation that a lawyer will take an interest in the IP in exchange for services.
they'll have this whole thing ironed out for when that one guy has to go to Mars alone
... shouldn't you at least PLAN on a round-trip ticket, assuming all the obstacles can be overcome, even if it's a long shot?
The hacks are pretty interesting as they are socially viral and not necessarily driven by sofware or the transmission of a virus.
Maybe I need to RTFA, but this type of hacking has got to be the most prevalent type on Myspace.
Unlike some sites I visit regularly, I've never been goatse-ed on Myspace... :)
(received as a comment on my page this morning)
And that horrible, evil, upcoming day when we "spring" forward is a miserable, deplorable day for those of us who don't get along well with morning.
I completely agree. Believe me, there's no way in hell I'd act upon it. It would simply be interesting and a possible starting point for my own research.
(I'm one that admittedly realizes that I have no familiarity with these issues)
I agree and am not really sure why you got flamed on that one. It's almost as if you made a pro MS comment or said something not entirely negative about Christianity!
Not that it would happen, but it would be great to see an initiative of thousands of people who would take the time to demand the service to which they are entitled, even if it meant doing exactly what your friend did.
Would things change in the face of so many support-hours being consumed?