Re: open source. was Closed system (was: PC connection via twinax ?)

And often (especially in IBM's case) a patent is taken on
the result of recent research. This research has not resulted
in any products yet (and may never), but if you don't take
a patent on it, somebody else might do the research too
and use the result (especially if the research is published
in scholarly journals). Taking out a patent prevent other
companies of using your results. I don't see why Chris got
so cross over this. Happens all the time. Fact of life.

----- Original Message -----
From: Hall, Philip <phall@spss.com>
To: <midrange-l@midrange.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2001 11:57 AM
Subject: RE: open source. was Closed system (was: PC connection via twinax ?)


>
> Chris,
>
> >     My reply questioned Leif's statement that "most patent filings are
> > to keep anyone from using the idea."
> >     I am aware that IBM has been a leader in filing patents for many
> > years. I am aware that IBM has had patents on many things
> > from "Printing
> > with a printer directly attached to a computer" to manufacturing
> > processes for memory chips.
> >     If Leif's statement is true, then more than half of all
> > IBM's patent
> > filings (or anyone's filings) are simply to keep ideas from
> > being used.
>
> I'm not sure on the numbers (whether it's greater or less than 50%), but
I'd
> tend to believe that it was getting towards 50% - there is a huge 'market'
> for the 'buying' and 'selling' (basically the transfer of patent ownership)
> of patents - some of which can not even be turned in to viable 'products'
> given today's current manufacturing and technology limitations.
>
> Sony is another company that hold a large number of patents - some of which
> it holds purely to have the advantage if an infringement case ever gets to
> court - others it 'buys' out of revenue potential (and that's not a bad
> thing either).
>
> --phil
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