Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!nems!ark1!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!sdd.hp.com!decwrl!sgi!karsh@trifolium.esd.sgi.com
From: karsh@trifolium.esd.sgi.com (Bruce Karsh)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Patents and Misinformation
Message-ID: <63106@sgi.sgi.com>
Date: 29 Jun 90 12:22:36 GMT
References: <1990Jun28.163043.501@craycos.com>
Sender: karsh@trifolium.esd.sgi.com
Reply-To: karsh@trifolium.sgi.com (Bruce Karsh)
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA
Lines: 24

In article <1990Jun28.163043.501@craycos.com> rh@craycos.com (Robert Herndon) writes:
>  I have recently seen many articles in this newsgroup,
>which, if they weren't dangerous, I would call silly.
>  Among the more absurd claims made was "If it has been
>published, it can't be patented."  This is patently (ugh)
>false.  If I recall correctly, someone who invents an
>idea and publishes it does have a limited time to apply
>for a patent, but publication does not preclude a patent
>(at least in the U.S.).

Mea Culpa.  What I meant to say was that if you don't want something
that you invent to later be patented by someone else, then publish it.
If you publish something, then you have 12 months to patent it in the
US.  In most other countries, publication does prevent patenting
though.  Usually its not worth it to only patent in the US, so beware.

There are good reasons for an invention to not be patented.  Some
inventions will do more good in the public domain that they will under
proprietary ownership.  The patent system makes it very simple for an
inventor to put their invention in the public domain.  Simply publish a
description of it and don't patent it.

			Bruce Karsh
			karsh@sgi.com