Les Mikesell wrote: > > I don't see a solution there... Either a company patents it now as a > protective measure or they let someone else do it. Either way > it might end up owned by someone else later. What's the alternative? > Do you expect the patent office to suddenly start doing their job > and disallowing patents that are obvious or mathematical algorithms? > There is one - publish it without patenting it. Then it is prier art, and can not be patented. You may still end up in court, but it makes it fairly easy to defend yourself when you can produce a publication of the application that the other company says infringes on their patent that predates their patent. One thing that would help is better enforcement of the search for prier art required by a patent application. The review of patents that is being done by private groups is helping weed out some of hte invalid patents... Mikkel -- Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for thou art crunchy and taste good with Ketchup!
