IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties • Hacker News Board

Re: IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties

#21

Post by noir_lord » Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 4:09 PM UTC

throwaway894345 wrote: post #20

brenden2 wrote: post #12

The whole US patent system needs to either be scrapped or rebuilt. The purpose it was originally intended to be used for doesn't make sense in a world where most new technology is just software, and software is incredibly easy to copy and duplicate. Getting a software patent is mostly a matter of sneaking past the people at the USPTO, and making sure you're the first to file. These patent factories could just write c…

I guess I always assumed this is more or less how it worked everywhere, at least anywhere that respect intellectual property. Is this not the case? What other models are out there, and which ones work better?

EU doesn't allow software patents.

The world hasn't ended so far.

https://fsfe.org/campaigns/swpat/swpat.en.html for a decent overview

Re: IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties

#22

Post by cody3222 » Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 4:11 PM UTC

This is not a good year for AirBnB. First the virus, then this, all while they were planning to IPO.

Re: IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties

#23

Post by ALurchyBeast » Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 4:12 PM UTC

blaincate wrote: post #19

famous fat line patent ! https://www.forbes.com/asap/2002/0624/044.html >>> The chief blue suit orchestrated the presentation of the seven patents IBM claimed were infringed, the most prominent of which was IBM's notorious "fat lines" patent: To turn a thin line on a computer screen into a broad line, you go up and down an equal distance from the ends of the thin line and then connect the four points. You probably le…

Here is the 'fat lines' patent you mentioned: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6930686. It's more about efficiency of drawing a line than connecting four dots.

Re: IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties

#24

Post by chrisseaton » Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 4:13 PM UTC

brenden2 wrote: post #12

The whole US patent system needs to either be scrapped or rebuilt. The purpose it was originally intended to be used for doesn't make sense in a world where most new technology is just software, and software is incredibly easy to copy and duplicate. Getting a software patent is mostly a matter of sneaking past the people at the USPTO, and making sure you're the first to file. These patent factories could just write c…

> where most new technology is just software

Is this really true?

Re: IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties

#25

Post by JackFr » Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 4:13 PM UTC

brenden2 wrote: post #12

The whole US patent system needs to either be scrapped or rebuilt. The purpose it was originally intended to be used for doesn't make sense in a world where most new technology is just software, and software is incredibly easy to copy and duplicate. Getting a software patent is mostly a matter of sneaking past the people at the USPTO, and making sure you're the first to file. These patent factories could just write c…

At the same time AirBNB has history, that is to say, a business model, based on ignoring laws they don't care for.

Re: IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties

#26

Post by brenden2 » Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 4:15 PM UTC

JackFr wrote: post #25

brenden2 wrote: post #12

The whole US patent system needs to either be scrapped or rebuilt. The purpose it was originally intended to be used for doesn't make sense in a world where most new technology is just software, and software is incredibly easy to copy and duplicate. Getting a software patent is mostly a matter of sneaking past the people at the USPTO, and making sure you're the first to file. These patent factories could just write c…

At the same time AirBNB has history, that is to say, a business model, based on ignoring laws they don't care for.

As a former employee, I don't agree with that. I know it's the prevailing sentiment on HN, but it's not the truth.

Re: IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties

#27

Post by edge17 » Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 4:16 PM UTC

vikramkr wrote: post #7

I recall an article a while back about how IBM is so innovative because it had the most patents filed per year on tech or something. I think we can see now that their patenting is less about innovation and more about patent trolling. Quote from the FT article on this below does not seem to show to me that this is the sort of patent that promotes real innovation - "improved navigation using bookmarks" does not seem li…

IBM files a lot of patent because (at least when I was there many years ago), employees and their management chain have strong economic incentives to file anything. Even interns were encouraged to file patents, and as a student it's a great way to beef up your resume. Ironically, even between technology professionals, the patents one files at IBM are great marketing material on the resume.

IBM marketing itself as 'the most innovative' does work on the vast majority of the world that isn't in technology.

Re: IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties

#28

Post by yazr » Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 4:17 PM UTC

Is there some sort of group-defense, where several sue-ees group together to contest a ridiculous patent ?

I guess the main difficulty is not the legal framework, but the business framing

Re: IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties

#29

Post by pslam » Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 4:17 PM UTC

brenden2 wrote: post #12

The whole US patent system needs to either be scrapped or rebuilt. The purpose it was originally intended to be used for doesn't make sense in a world where most new technology is just software, and software is incredibly easy to copy and duplicate. Getting a software patent is mostly a matter of sneaking past the people at the USPTO, and making sure you're the first to file. These patent factories could just write c…

> The purpose it was originally intended to be used for doesn't make sense in a world where most new technology is just software, and software is incredibly easy to copy and duplicate.

The very first patent was to duplicate an existing process (the loom) and have a monopoly to produce it.

I keep hearing this argument from patent proponents, but patents have never in their history been ostensibly for good.

Re: IBM sues Airbnb for patent royalties

#30

Post by brenden2 » Thu, Mar 12, 2020, 4:18 PM UTC

chrisseaton wrote: post #24

brenden2 wrote: post #12

The whole US patent system needs to either be scrapped or rebuilt. The purpose it was originally intended to be used for doesn't make sense in a world where most new technology is just software, and software is incredibly easy to copy and duplicate. Getting a software patent is mostly a matter of sneaking past the people at the USPTO, and making sure you're the first to file. These patent factories could just write c…

> where most new technology is just software Is this really true?

Yep. Just look at the top 10 companies by market cap:

1. Microsoft – mostly software

2. Apple – software and hardware

3. Amazon – mostly software

4. Alphabet – mostly software

5. Berkshire Hathaway – not tech

6. Facebook – mostly software

7. Alibaba – mostly software

8. Tencent – mostly software

9. Johnson & Johnson – not tech

10. Visa – not tech, but mostly software