I decided to check Gamedev.net tonight, and saw that Creative Technologies has a patent on Doom3's shadow algorithm. An article about can be found here. Looking at the Beyond3d thread on it, I came across a valid reason for doing away with patents:
Actually, patents DON'T encourage innovation and progress. Think about it - multiple companies all expend R&D on some problem. The FIRST company to FILE their patent is the big winner, and EVERYONE else has to dump everything they have done to that point or risk being SUED for infringement! Now, explain again how patents encourage companies to spend millions.
To me patents just don't seem like a good idea anymore, especially if a company never capitalizes on them with a product. From this Microsoft is going to file around 3000 patents this year. Which seems nearly absurd.
Even the Jabber community has discovered a patent that may be patenting IRC. Looking over it, it may actually be patenting PubSub incorporated into a client that also does chat. The vultures are a waiting to collect their money.
I have yet to file for a single patent, and I probably should. I actually need to file. Who knows if any of my bright ideas have already been patented in the DoS attack on the Patent Office. To bad I don't have the cash to even make an attempt at it.
Buckminster Fuller called today's capitalism Lawyer Capitalism. I guess he was on to something, because you sure can't trade, much less create, without one.
