Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1754125AbXFZALS (ORCPT ); Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:11:18 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1751272AbXFZALH (ORCPT ); Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:11:07 -0400 Received: from e5.ny.us.ibm.com ([32.97.182.145]:51914 "EHLO e5.ny.us.ibm.com" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751190AbXFZALF (ORCPT ); Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:11:05 -0400 In-Reply-To: <9362.218.101.54.21.1182811032.squirrel@218.101.54.21> To: manningc2@actrix.co.nz Cc: linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, "Graeme Sheppard" MIME-Version: 1.0 Subject: Re: Patent or not patent a new idea X-Mailer: Lotus Notes Release 7.0 HF277 June 21, 2006 Message-ID: From: Bryan Henderson Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:11:00 -0700 X-MIMETrack: Serialize by Router on D01ML604/01/M/IBM(Build V80_M5_05202007|May 20, 2007) at 06/25/2007 20:11:02, Serialize complete at 06/25/2007 20:11:02 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 829 Lines: 21 >If your only purpose is to try generate a defensive patent, then just >dumping the idea in the public domain serves the same purpose, probably >better. > >I have a few patents, some of which are defensive. That has not prevented >the USPTO issuing quite a few patents that are in clear violation of mine. That's not what a defensive patent is. Indeed, patenting something just so someone else can't patent it is ridiculous, because publishing is so much easier. A defensive patent is one you file so that you can trade rights to it for rights to other patents that you need. - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/