# HG changeset patch # User Robert McIntyre # Date 1364832957 0 # Node ID 004f5f795445bc4d316978560e7d9c4c4028d446 # Parent 8df13ee40f305d92c943cbace4b11867ec0fc939 minor change. diff -r 8df13ee40f30 -r 004f5f795445 org/patents.org --- a/org/patents.org Mon Apr 01 16:14:26 2013 +0000 +++ b/org/patents.org Mon Apr 01 16:15:57 2013 +0000 @@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Now, I chose a particularly silly patent, but the point is that patents can be a great force for the retardation of progress. Many - silly patents have been issued, and a patent lasts for 17 years. For + silly patents have been issued, and a patent lasts for 17 years! For almost any idea, there will be some patent that will cover your idea, and then the entity that owns that patent can prevent you from selling products based on that idea /or even giving products based @@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ player, you will have problems distributing that player because of the mp3 patents. - ** Patents are treated as physical objects +** Patents are treated as physical objects They can be sold, seized, etc. This is because the government wants new inventions to actually be made available to the public. The idea here is that if you are an inventor and you obtain a patent on a