diff org/patents.org @ 49:8aa965b5ae9a

added positive patents part.
author Robert McIntyre <rlm@mit.edu>
date Sat, 13 Jul 2013 14:01:44 -0400
parents 8d2aa8256786
children 42b447a048aa
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     1.1 --- a/org/patents.org	Sat Jul 13 03:33:28 2013 -0400
     1.2 +++ b/org/patents.org	Sat Jul 13 14:01:44 2013 -0400
     1.3 @@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
     1.4  
     1.5  
     1.6  (This is all based on my knowledge of American patent/copyright law,
     1.7 -though the situation should be similiar in other countries.)
     1.8 +though the situation should be similar in other countries.)
     1.9  
    1.10  * Copyright is normally a negative force
    1.11    
    1.12 @@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
    1.13    Unfortunately, treating patents as physical objects has had an
    1.14    unintended side-effect: [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_troll][patent trolls]]. These are companies that
    1.15    collect patents from companies that go out of business (and though
    1.16 -  other means) and then sue companies for patent violations. The do
    1.17 +  other means) and then sue companies for patent violations. They do
    1.18    not produce any goods or services; their entire business model is
    1.19    suing people. Most patent lawsuits (more than 50%) are initiated by
    1.20    patent trolls.
    1.21 @@ -117,15 +117,19 @@
    1.22    done this by attaching legally binding conditions on the enforcement
    1.23    of their patents via a pledge.
    1.24  
    1.25 -* COMMENT Positive Patents
    1.26 +* Positive Patents
    1.27    We can create patents that actively enable freedom by emulating
    1.28    the GPL. What it would take is a company that issues a more
    1.29    aggressive pledge about its patents; Something along the lines of:
    1.30    
    1.31  #+begin_quote
    1.32    The Positive Patent Pledge, v0.1
    1.33 +  "
    1.34 +  This pledge must go along with this patent -- if the patent is sold
    1.35 +  or transfered then the party must take this pledge as a condition of
    1.36 +  recieving this patent.
    1.37  
    1.38 -  "We pledge to sue any entity that tries to sell/distribute any
    1.39 +  We pledge to sue any entity that tries to sell/distribute any
    1.40    product that is covered by our patents. We will not settle for any
    1.41    amount of money but will instead ensure that the product will never
    1.42    see market, as is our right under patent law. 
    1.43 @@ -161,7 +165,11 @@
    1.44  #+begin_quote
    1.45    The Positive Patent Pledge v0.2
    1.46  
    1.47 -  "We pledge to sue any entity that tries to sell/distribute any
    1.48 +  This pledge must go along with this patent -- if the patent is sold
    1.49 +  or transfered then the party must take this pledge as a condition of
    1.50 +  recieving this patent.
    1.51 +
    1.52 +  We pledge to sue any entity that tries to sell/distribute any
    1.53    product that is covered by our patents. We will not settle for any
    1.54    amount of money but will instead ensure that the product will never
    1.55    see market, as is our right under patent law. 
    1.56 @@ -183,7 +191,7 @@
    1.57  
    1.58  
    1.59  * COMMENT
    1.60 - use proscriptive/freedom enabling/disabling?
    1.61 + use prescriptive/freedom enabling/disabling?
    1.62  
    1.63   explain a scenario of how this pledge would work.
    1.64