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[XML-DEV Mailing List Archive Home] [By Thread] [By Date] [Recent Entries] [Reply To This Message] RE: Another Microsoft XML patent
 Problem here is, Rick, that there wasn't that much innovation. A lot of burglary and rebranding, but not as much innovation as is claimed. I don't disagree with your essential point that cooperation is the better way, but if patents aren't filed, under the current system, the small companies will be muscled out of business. Why? The reason to fix the global patenting systems is that they have become a means to extort. A company with means to file patents can invade the technical means of markets that they don't participate in and use their size (yes, the bigCos do waaay more damage than the little companies all hype to the contrary) to hold the innovative companies hostage. So the little companies with marketshare MUST patent as fast as they can. Does that [expletive deleted]? You betcha. The web made this worse. Email and other means to send messages directly to desktops have made it possible to get a thin patent, then use the medium (including lists like this) to ensure knowledge of the patent goes directly to the CIOs, CEOs and other corporate officers who are then obligated to go to their legal departments with the information. An interesting read is the history of the Wright Brothers struggle to get their patents. Because at that time patent applications meant one could not demonstrate the invention, they had to face down the whole country of France where it was claimed powered flight was invented. They had to fight Curtis who got an advanced look at the Wright Flyer and ripped off their concepts for wing warping. So, having the web where we regularly discuss our ideas is a pretty dangerous thing UNLESS one wants to be open with ideas. Even then, anyone with Google or a good spider can harvest these lists daily and patent like mad. len From: Rick Jelliffe [mailto:ricko@a...] Unfortunately, just because the USPTO is a laughing stock among programmers does not mean that its influence is not strong elsewhere. Venture capitalists still look to pupported IP when evaluating companies, and researchers are frequently rated by how many patents they get. Looking at the major advances or sources of innovation in the last 15 years, the WWW and XML in particular, they come out of co-operation and a renunciation of the private ownership/control of infrastructure standards. 
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