Hello Richard,
On 3/10/09 7:21 PM, Richard M Stallman wrote:
Under the current patent system a company that does not apply for =
patents risks finding that a patent troll has applied for their idea. =
Publishing the idea should have the same effect as patenting it: to make
future applications invalid.
Let me pose you a scenario and ask for your advice:
1. Vendor A develops technology and works to see adopted an
associated standard, publishing as you suggest above.
2. Vendor B then develops an important extension to that work and
patents it. Vendor B extorts an expensive license arrangement
from Vendor A.
What is Vendor A to do to protect itself from such an attack? One
approach is Vendor A patenting the technology and cross-licensing at
reasonable terms (like don't sue us and we won't sue you). What would
you suggest instead?
Eliot
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