[Discuss] [Open Manufacturing] patent pools for defense of open source contributors

[Michael Weinberg]

If you only patented something "slightly" different, your patent should
only cover those slight changes.  You might feel like going around making
wild accusations against anything that remotely resembles your patent, but
the patent shouldn't actually cover those things.
Not to say that such behavior isn't a problem in the patent world.  But at
least in theory that shouldn't be a problem.

All that being said, trolls are just as likely to be a problem for OSHW as
with anything else.  Which is to say they are a problem.


On Wed, Aug 20, 2014 at 2:41 PM, Matt Maier <blueback09 at gmail.com> wrote:

> I think the bigger problem will be patenting of something which is
> "slightly" different from what's already public. That way even a proactive
> defense wouldn't be able to stop the patent. Once a patent exists it can be
> asserted against anything that remotely resembles it and it's up to the
> accused party to defend themselves. The patent, or the case, could very
> well be judged invalid, but that wouldn't do anything about all of the time
> and money required to get to that judgment.
>
> Correct me if I'm wrong. That's my understanding of how patent law (in the
> US) works and the primary loophole that can (will) cause problems for open
> source hardware in the future.
>
> On Wed, Aug 20, 2014 at 11:30 AM, Michael Weinberg <
> mweinberg at publicknowledge.org> wrote:
>
>> and +1 again.  At least in theory, being published should prevent things
>> from being patented.  And (depending on your definition of derived), things
>> that build off of something in the public domain can be patented.  But so
>> can things that build off existing patents.
>>
>>
>> On Wed, Aug 20, 2014 at 2:29 PM, Michael Weinberg <
>> mweinberg at publicknowledge.org> wrote:
>>
>>> +1 one that.  Defensive patent licensing is a great idea, but finding
>>> the patents can be complicated.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Aug 20, 2014 at 2:19 PM, alicia <amgibb at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> If you *have* patents, then yes, I think these systems are excellent
>>>> for open sourcing your patent. I think the aspect missing is many oshw
>>>> companies do not want to go through the hassle of getting the patent.
>>>>
>>>> Remember hardware is inherently open until closed (with a patent)!
>>>>
>>>> Alicia
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, Aug 20, 2014 at 11:25 AM, Matt Maier <blueback09 at gmail.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Can we apply this same framework to protect open source hardware? It
>>>>> seems like patents are even more important to the hardware side of open
>>>>> source, since they're technically the only thing that speaks to control of
>>>>> the physical items.
>>>>>
>>>>> http://archive.oreilly.com/pub/post/patent_pools_offer_open_source.html
>>>>>
>>>>> "The two patent pool projects concerned here--open source's shining
>>>>> knights in armor--are the Patent Commons Project
>>>>> <http://www.patent-commons.org/> and the Open Invention Network
>>>>> <http://www.openinventionnetwork.com/>. The basic idea is to use the
>>>>> patent system the way companies and inventors have used it from the start:
>>>>> to cross-license patents and use patents defensively so they aren't sued
>>>>> out of existence"
>>>>>
>>>>> Until now, there was no prize for doing open source; you didn't get
>>>>> back anything in return...Now it's different. Open source your software,
>>>>> and you get protection. Individual developers or small software houses that
>>>>> always had to worry about patent lawsuits can now worry a bit less--but
>>>>> only if they play the open-source game...Managers who always asked "What do
>>>>> we get for open-sourcing besides good will?" now have a concrete answer:
>>>>> there will be a lot of legal muscle at their disposal."
>>>>>
>>>>> "If large legal resources are available to anyone open-sourcing his or
>>>>> her software, it suddenly becomes critical to define open source
>>>>> precisely...Amazingly, I have not been able to find anywhere--on the web
>>>>> sites of the Patent Commons Project and the Open Invention Network or among
>>>>> any of the commentators--a definition of open source."
>>>>>
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>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>>  Michael Weinberg, Vice President, PK Thinks
>>> 202-861-0020 (o) | @mweinbergPK
>>>
>>> Public Knowledge | @publicknowledge | www.publicknowledge.org
>>> 1818 N St. NW, Suite 410 | Washington, DC 20036 | CFC # 12259
>>>
>>> Promoting a Creative & Connected Future.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>  Michael Weinberg, Vice President, PK Thinks
>> 202-861-0020 (o) | @mweinbergPK
>>
>> Public Knowledge | @publicknowledge | www.publicknowledge.org
>> 1818 N St. NW, Suite 410 | Washington, DC 20036 | CFC # 12259
>>
>> Promoting a Creative & Connected Future.
>>
>>
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-- 
Michael Weinberg, Vice President, PK Thinks
202-861-0020 (o) | @mweinbergPK

Public Knowledge | @publicknowledge | www.publicknowledge.org
1818 N St. NW, Suite 410 | Washington, DC 20036 | CFC # 12259

Promoting a Creative & Connected Future.
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