rlm@12: #+title: Thoughts on Patents
rlm@12: #+author: Robert McIntyre
rlm@12: #+email: rlm@mit.edu
rlm@12: #+description: 
rlm@12: #+keywords: 
rlm@12: #+SETUPFILE: ../../aurellem/org/setup.org
rlm@12: #+INCLUDE: ../../aurellem/org/level-0.org
rlm@12: 
rlm@12: 
rlm@12: * Patents generally an inhibitive force.
rlm@12: 
rlm@12: Patents are usually a negative force, one that allows you to stop
rlm@12:   other entities from using knowledge to their own advantage.
rlm@12: 
rlm@12: * Google has created "neutral" patents via a pledge which attaches conditions to its patents.
rlm@12:   Google has a pledge at
rlm@12:   http://www.google.com/patents/opnpledge/pledge/ that says that for
rlm@12:   certain specified patents "we pledge not to sue any user,
rlm@12:   distributor or developer of open-source software on specified
rlm@12:   patents, unless first attacked."
rlm@12: 
rlm@12:   This is an interesting statement to me. With this pledge, Google has
rlm@12:   created "neutral" patents that allow open source software to
rlm@12:   develop, but do not particurally encourage it to develop.
rlm@12: 
rlm@12: