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Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain

arstechnica.com

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Re: Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain

#11

Post by ldjb »

mikece wrote: post #5

What is the relative advantage of putting something into the public domain versus releasing under an Apache 2 or MIT license? The latter doesn’t restrict anyone’s use AND establishes a public record to refute what Google is trying to do. Additionally, communications by email could be via GitHub issues and open to all to see.

The MIT License requires copies of the software to give attribution to the copyright holder, as well as the licence text.

Though it is a very permissive licence, this does pose some barrier to using the software. Some companies are averse to using software they need to provide attribution for, but would not mind using software that is in the public domain.

Releasing software to the public domain ensures that as many people as possible can make maximum use of it.

That's not to say it's better to release software to the public domain over using a permissive licence. It really depends on the terms under which the developer wants people to use the software.

Re: Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain

#13

Post by mikece »

mikece wrote: post #5

What is the relative advantage of putting something into the public domain versus releasing under an Apache 2 or MIT license? The latter doesn’t restrict anyone’s use AND establishes a public record to refute what Google is trying to do. Additionally, communications by email could be via GitHub issues and open to all to see.

How about an “On the record” public domain dedication where dates, code, issues, wiki, etc are a matter of public record and establish legal grounds of prior art for countering patent issues like this?

Re: Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain

#15

Post by kankroc »

williamxd3 wrote: post #12

intellectual property shouldn't exist.

Intellectual property done right puts bread on the table of many researchers and engineers and is arguably a protection agains't direct Chinese theft.

That being said, Google is really turning into a monster at this point with all their patents on random algorithms.

Re: Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain

#16

Post by brisance »

mcny wrote: post #7
mabbo wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A court ruling against someone patenting this would strongly discourage anyone else from trying.

Thank you. Sounds like a win win scenario for Google. If the courts decide Google can't patent it, it probably means nobody else can either.

How is this a win-win scenario for Google? They’re attempting to do something that is strictly against the interest of the inventor and abusing the patent system in order to achieve a commerical advantage at the cost of the rest of humanity. This is totally evil in my view.

Re: Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain

#17

Post by mistrial9 »

brisance wrote: post #16
mcny wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you. Sounds like a win win scenario for Google. If the courts decide Google can't patent it, it probably means nobody else can either.

How is this a win-win scenario for Google? They’re attempting to do something that is strictly against the interest of the inventor and abusing the patent system in order to achieve a commerical advantage at the cost of the rest of humanity. This is totally evil in my view.

it is exactly a "win-win" for Google, as described above, because fairness and respect to an individual author are not included in the decision at all. It is money and the legal context of money, that is described in "win-win" and as you rightly point out, this creates miserable results from a humanist point of view.

Re: Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain

#18

Post by FartyMcFarter »

brisance wrote: post #16
mcny wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you. Sounds like a win win scenario for Google. If the courts decide Google can't patent it, it probably means nobody else can either.

How is this a win-win scenario for Google? They’re attempting to do something that is strictly against the interest of the inventor and abusing the patent system in order to achieve a commerical advantage at the cost of the rest of humanity. This is totally evil in my view.

Key words: "for google".

Re: Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain

#19

Post by phkahler »

brisance wrote: post #16
mcny wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thank you. Sounds like a win win scenario for Google. If the courts decide Google can't patent it, it probably means nobody else can either.

How is this a win-win scenario for Google? They’re attempting to do something that is strictly against the interest of the inventor and abusing the patent system in order to achieve a commerical advantage at the cost of the rest of humanity. This is totally evil in my view.

Google may simply want the patent to prevent someone like MPEG LA getting one. I suspect they really want it to prevent MPEG LA from using the technique in a codec though. Or perhaps Google employees are simply chasing the incentives to get patents.

Re: Inventor says Google is patenting work he put in the public domain

#20

Post by blattimwind »

tehabe wrote: post #9

Another example why software patents don't really work. Because most thing software patents cover are not really inventions but ideas. Also the written code is already protected via copyright. That is the difference to a eg. wind mill, the blue prints are only protected by a patent, not by copyright. And it effects only the implementation.

Blue prints are absolutely covered by copyright.
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