> Hettinger held the patent on finger spinners for eight years, but surrendered it in 2005 because she could not afford the $400 (£310) renewal fee. Isn't this bizarre? If she couldn't monetize it and make it profitable in eight years, maybe it's for the best that someone else gets a shot. We should not fall into the trap of thinking that intellectual property is like other forms of property. It's a trade where the p…
I'm guessing the vast majority of modern patents are held by enormous multinationals which do not have renewal-fee problems. And which generally do not turn loose the patents they aren't monetizing.
If you want to tut-tut about the public interest, this strikes me as a strange spot to start. Let's turn that "limited time" moralizing on the organizations that actually abuse the system.