Felix Salmon: The Cost of Patent Trolls

Re:Felix Salmon: The Cost of Patent Trolls by rjd on Monday July 25, 2011 @01:53AM (#2801514)

I'm no expert in American patents so forgive me if I don't fully understand things, my country doesn't even have software patents :O

But it seems from my readings that applying a reasonable expiry date to them would solve so many issues.

So say an assumption would apply that after say 5-10 years a technology would be common place and hence no longer unique, and that a company that couldn't capitalise after that period shouldn't be able to be in a position to hold up an economy.

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Re:Felix Salmon: The Cost of Patent Trolls by chalst on Monday July 25, 2011 @02:27AM (#2801599)

All kinds of patents expire after 17 years.

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Re:Felix Salmon: The Cost of Patent Trolls by rjd on Monday July 25, 2011 @05:45AM (#2801963)

But if I'm not mistaken they can get indefinite patents as well which seems more like abuse than privilege.

17 years as well...seems like to long a time frame to me., but again I'm not expert. I'd have gone 10 years max.

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Re:Felix Salmon: The Cost of Patent Trolls by watmough on Monday July 25, 2011 @09:03AM (#2802414)

Is it possible you're thinking about Disney, and their extending copyrights?

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