NASA Once Again Auctioning Off Patents Your Tax Dollars Paid For
from the why-the-exclusivity dept
One of the few good things in the US concerning copyright law was the decision to make sure that all federal government documents, that are released, are released into the public domain rather than covered by any sort of government copyright (such as crown copyright found in other countries). However, for some reason, the government has not done the same thing when it comes to federally funded research that is turned into patents. A couple of years ago, we questioned why NASA was auctioning off patents that were taxpayer funded. It appears that NASA doesn't care.Ben points us to the news that NASA is about to auction off a bunch of other patents as well, including five patents around "automated software generation." There's simply no reason not to put this research into the public domain where it can actually be used to benefit both commercial and non-commercial projects. By auctioning off a patent monopoly, it will almost certainly be using taxpayer-funded research to stifle innovation.
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Filed Under: auction, federal government, nasa, patents, taxes
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Spending Taxpayer Dollars...
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Re: Spending Taxpayer Dollars...
Now genetic programming is patentable?
I recall tones of prior art, everybody and their dog did try genetic programming at some point.
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Re: Re: Spending Taxpayer Dollars...
I recall tones of prior art, everybody and their dog did try genetic programming at some point."
Mother Nature claims prior art.
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"collapse" by national geographic
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The USPTO issuing patents for money vs the govt auctioning off patents issued to itself for money. What's the difference?
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Points of view
For them, selling these patents will somehow enhance innovation. The mechanism they are thinking of is probably something like "once these patents are sold the buyers will be able to use them to produce new and innovative products", ignoring or dismissing as less important concerns such as stifling innovation from other companies and individuals, and the ever annoying "patent thicket" where the whole market gets deadlocked.
Each side thinks the other is dangerously wrong. We think they are endangering the future of their country and perhaps the whole world, by substantially increasing the cost of innovation. They think reducing or eliminating patents would endanger the future of their country and perhaps the whole world, by substantially reducing the incentive for innovation.
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Re: Points of view
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Re: Points of view
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Re:
/sarcasm
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Re: Re:
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Re:
BTW, the status of "government works" falling into the public domain is a legislative mandate, and this is its major failing. The law can always be changed at some date in the future to change the status quo. In fact, even with the legislative mandate now in effect, there are circumstances wherein the USG is permitted to hold copyrights (i.e., assignment, bequest or devise).
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@5
That somehow the warning bells are not coming up here? Tax payers already paid for this shit. IT SHOULD GO PUBLIC DOMAIN. OR at min to an org that allows ONLY say YOUR COUNTRY to use them freely , a kinda of taxpayer public domain based on country.
thats fair use
and me being in canada not having paid taxes on htose patents then would need to buy a product made form one of your USA people make OR if i want ot use said patent would have to pay a nominal and fair royalty that goes back to the US treasury.
YA know as i said above go watch that national geographic movie "collapse" this is stiffing of your tech will only hasten the coming storm.
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Re: @5
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SCAM!
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""Now genetic programming is patentable?
I recall tones of prior art, everybody and their dog did try genetic programming at some point."
Mother Nature claims prior art."
Just so we are clear, the genetic programming I was refering to is this one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_programming
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All The Fault Of The Democrats
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Re: All The Fault Of The Democrats
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stupid stipid techdirt lemming-punks
he'll brainwash you untul your brains are white color
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Re: stupid stipid techdirt lemming-punks
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Hybris?
"A couple of years ago, we questioned why NASA was auctioning off patents that were taxpayer funded. It appears that NASA doesn't care."
Why would they care? I doubt NASA even know you exist. You may be right on the topic but they won't change their ways becuase of this blog.
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Government....
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Government....
Anyone else see the problem with incentivising (sp) things in this manner? There is no incentive to 'solve' the problem since everyone involved in prolonging the issue is making more money while helping make the problem worse.
This is the same reason drug companies come out with 'treatments' and 'symptom reducers' rather than cures (when/where they can), if you 'Fix' the problem with a $1000 dollar pill, that's all you will ever get out of that patient, now if you sell them a $100/month 'treatment' that reduces some of their symptoms and kind of makes them feel better, you can profit until they run out of money or die from the lack of a cure (or more likely the 'treatment' has some unknown side effect that only kicks in after a year or two, and the patient dies from the treatment.... this has never happened, right? I'm just being paranoid and drug companies wouldn't really do this would they?)
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It's not all bad...
Yeah, OK, it's not the most ideal situation, but I guess it's not all bad.
Also, a lot of innovation in the US happens in universities doing federally funded research projects, which often generate patents, which are then often licensed for commercialization (in the ideal case). Federally funded projects = taxpayer funded projects. This has been going on forever, so this NASA auction is not exactly a rare thing.
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Re: It's not all bad...
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Mathematical algorithms
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