Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #02323
To: JVernonM@aol.com
From: Bruce Robinson Bruce_Robinson@bc.sympatico.ca
Date: Wed, 14 Apr 1999 16:54:04 -0700
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: CPU again? (was Beam genome)
JVernonM@aol.com wrote (in part):
> ... If those that contribute to the development of that body are
> able to cause some kind of serious evolutionary advancements then who
> benefits? I guess in this situation where the lawyers and patents have
> been put in place, it would only be Mr. Tilden. ...
> ... In other words, the only way for you to benefit from what you build
> is to get an OK from Tilden and then start cutting the pie among those
> who called the lawyers first ...
Patent law was created to encourage people to make their innovative
ideas public, rather then keeping them hidden away. It protects the
invention for a limited period (it was 17 years in Canada, last I looked
- which was admittedly a few years ago).
There's nothing that says you can't patent a new idea which is based on
an existing patent held by someone else. Indeed, patents are very
explicit and there has been more than one case where people overlooked
an obvious extension of their idea, failed to mention it in their
patent, and had someone else patent that idea. The integrated circuit is
an example.
The most important part of a patent is the section called the "Claims".
This is what's actually patented. Mark Tilden's patent has 19 claims and
it's a very interesting read. For example, claim 1 begins, "A sequencing
circuit for controlling the motion of a mechanical limb actuated by at
least servo motor, ..." (sic). If you read the claims section as a
whole, the patent really covers a circuit controlling one or more
mechanical limbs (and a great many possible variations thereof), as well
as autonomous devices based on this claim. I suspect you'll find lots
and lots of innovative ways to go beyond the claims of this patent.
People don't just patent ideas in order to become filthy rich. A patent
by a well-intentioned individual can prevent someone else (e.g. an "evil
corporation") from keeping a stranglehold on an idea. As far as I've
seen, Mark Tilden has been very lenient in allowing experimeters to use
his invention. And why not? If someone comes up with a patentable
extension that results in a runaway commerical success, Mark AND the new
inventor stand to gain.
Personally I try so hard because it's a challenge and it's stimulating.
Regards,
Bruce
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