[sdiy] Patents

[karl dalen]

> > http://www.tinaja.com/patnt01.asp
> > 
> > From memory, I think he sees the patent system as a means for keeping lots
> > of lawyers in well-paid jobs, and pretty much pointless and a drain on
> > finances for the rest of us.
> 
> If you run a buissness and want to make sure you have that benefit (the
> invention) over your competitors, then it is a good idea. 

It used to be a god idea, as long as you had a number of patents,
one single patent dont do much, lets say 3 or 4 patents stricktly
relating to one another in one way or another spread in time
circumventing the technical idea as a shild patent.

But in many cases thats also far from enough to protect
the invention from long and costly court cases!!

Not to mention shanghai semiconductor layout pirates
wich dont give a damn about your patents!

>As a private person
> you need to be much more than very smart (to come up with the idea) to
> actually
> make money out of it. You must be able to "sell it" and have companies to
> actually produce anything based on it.

Very true, thats more or less the whole idea with patents, to make money!

REG
KD