Bad News for Innovators

I am more than dismayed to see this article this morning:

"First to File" -- negative ramifications for free energy advancement

Last September, US Patent law changed from "first to invent" to "first to file", so now patent trolls can hunt down good IP that isn't patented, and take over ownership merely by filing a patent first. It has proven hugely demoralizing to the software industry. It could have similar effect in the energy industry, especially open source.


by Sterling D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News

. . . Before, if an inventor chose not to get a patent on his technology, he wouldn't be able to protect it if someone else used it, but at least he wouldn't be facing the loss of his ability to use it, and a major financial penalty which could sink him -- for using his own idea.

This law was pushed through with little resistance, and with huge support from lawyer lobbies, who stand to gain hugely from all the litigation that can arise.

. . . Probably where we are most vulnerable presently is in "open source" projects, where ideas are discussed and developed openly in a community manner. A patent troll could grab a key part of that, file a patent on it, say nothing about it; then later pop it out when the technology enters the marketplace. . . .

When viewed within the context of other things going on in the world brought about by corrupt governments, this fits right in to a pattern.

This is very good news for corporations. Means they profit on the expense of others. I mean, even more so. The way of capitalism is to maximise profits by all means available to them, and this is just making things easier.

It could be said that so much could be accomplished, if people were not so concerned about who gets the credit, but to prohibit the creator's ability to use their own idea? Going too far. It means that canny profiteers can not only capitalise upon the work of others to even greater extent, but also drive them out of any opportunity to make profit themselves, and thereby cut down the competition before it even starts.

What will this mean for people wishing to discuss ideas in public space? Will they be forced underground in order to protect themselves? And if they are forced underground, then external ouput will be limited to a far smaller pool of innovative contribution, which will be hindrance to progress. So innovation is reigned in check even tighter by the greedy hands of profiteers.

This is why I dislike capitalism.

Anyone using this as an excuse in the future for why "technology has been suppressed" is clutching at the conspiracy straws again. The reason :

Prior Art

Once the information is distributed on the internet across many countries NOBODY can patent it and EVERYBODY will know who invented it and ANYBODY can build the damn thing. Needless to say any enterprising firm will employ the inventor in order to eliminate learning curve issues and be the first to distribute a commercial version. There is also a huge marketing advantage in having the product endorsed by the inventor.

The inventor will still make a mint from books and interviews.

This has never happened (in new energy research) because nobody can publish a genuine working prototype.

P.S. I fell for all the new energy hype over 15 years ago and here I am still seeing the same unverified claims a lot from the same "inventors"....sheesh.

Originally posted by yorkshirelad
Once the information is distributed on the internet across many countries NOBODY can patent it . . .

What are you basing this on?

reply to post by Mary Rose


it's this kind of backward thinking that lent to countries like China and Russia falling so far behind in the first place!

This will have shocking long term consequences.

What if... someone invents something in china, and someone in the US raises the patent?

Is this retaliation for the pirate DVD market

I might start a patent troll business. Sounds the way forward!

Originally posted by Beavers
What if... someone invents something in china, and someone in the US raises the patent?

Good point. I guess the patent would be good only in the U.S.? Regardless, it is a bizarre situation. Just like the general world situation at present. We live in a culture of the big lie.