1.1 --- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
     1.2 +++ b/org/patents.org	Mon Apr 01 14:38:27 2013 +0000
     1.3 @@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
     1.4 +#+title: Thoughts on Patents
     1.5 +#+author: Robert McIntyre
     1.6 +#+email: rlm@mit.edu
     1.7 +#+description: 
     1.8 +#+keywords: 
     1.9 +#+SETUPFILE: ../../aurellem/org/setup.org
    1.10 +#+INCLUDE: ../../aurellem/org/level-0.org
    1.11 +
    1.12 +
    1.13 +* Patents generally an inhibitive force.
    1.14 +
    1.15 +Patents are usually a negative force, one that allows you to stop
    1.16 +  other entities from using knowledge to their own advantage.
    1.17 +
    1.18 +* Google has created "neutral" patents via a pledge which attaches conditions to its patents.
    1.19 +  Google has a pledge at
    1.20 +  http://www.google.com/patents/opnpledge/pledge/ that says that for
    1.21 +  certain specified patents "we pledge not to sue any user,
    1.22 +  distributor or developer of open-source software on specified
    1.23 +  patents, unless first attacked."
    1.24 +
    1.25 +  This is an interesting statement to me. With this pledge, Google has
    1.26 +  created "neutral" patents that allow open source software to
    1.27 +  develop, but do not particurally encourage it to develop.
    1.28 +
    1.29 +