Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: solved before (Patents)

Author:Jim Lyon
Posted:9/22/2000; 10:40:38 AM
Topic:Patents
Msg #:21639 (In response to 21631)
Prev/Next:21638 / 21640

I have never [researched patents for answers to problems], and I have never met a single person who has said or hinted they have done so.

I have worked for a number of high-tech companies over the last 25 years. Each of the large ones, without fail, had a written policy that prohibited engineers from searching for patents. The reasons for the policy were generally unstated, but I learned in various conversations that:

Yet more evidence that the patent disclosure isn't really advancing the state of the art (at least in software), and perhaps shouldn't be rewarded as if it were.




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