Re: [Algorithms] pissing in the well [was: Collision detection patent]

[Thatcher U. <tu...@tu...>]

From: Alan Hurshman <ala...@hf...>


> From: "Thatcher Ulrich" <tu...@tu...>
> >
> > * Refuse to patent algorithms.
>
> Another option if you have real control - patent the algorithm
> if you think it valid then license it freely to those who do the same.
> Do not license it to companies who try to use software patents
> to restrict the creativity of others.

Sort of a "copyleft" for patents... someone on a slashdot forum brought up
this idea, taken a little further:  establish a patent pool which would
grant free licenses to any organization which lacked software patents or
donated all their software patents to the pool... no licenses at any cost
for anybody else.  If the pool contained enough decent patents, it could
conceivably pull the teeth of software patent enforcement in general.

The major obstacle is money.  Unlike copyrights, patents are not cheap to
obtain & maintain.  If the pool didn't collect license fees, the funding
would have to come from somewhere else.  This is also the problem with doing
it as an individual; the expense of obtaining patents makes it costly to
pursue this strategy on principle.

But it's an interesting idea.  Maybe it could work.

--
Thatcher Ulrich
http://tulrich.com