Twitter’s Surprising Solution to the Patent Problem: Let Employees Control Them

Re:Twitter’s Surprising Solution to the Patent Problem: Let ... by mtgx on Thursday February 21, 2013 @12:12PM (#5258578)

This is how it should be with both patents and copyrights anyway. Corporations should not get to own them, ever - only to manage them for fixed periods of time decided in contracts with the owners. And if say the owner of a patent actually wants to sue someone, then they should be able to get a company to fight on their behalf (and share the gains). I think this would at least prevent most of the abuses for both patents and copyrights.

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Re:Twitter’s Surprising Solution to the Patent Problem: Let ... by michaelfeathers on Thursday February 21, 2013 @01:48PM (#5259228)

People today might not be aware but Robert Fripp (of King Crimson) championed this back in the 90s and set up his record label (Discipline) to enforce it.

The notice that he put on the CDs was eloquent:

The phonographic copyright in these performances is operated by Discipline Records on behalf of the artists, with whom it resides. Discipline accepts no reason for artists to give away such copyright interests in their work by virtue of a "common practice" which is out of tune with the time, was always questionable and is now indefensible.

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Re:Twitter’s Surprising Solution to the Patent Problem: Let ... by dreamdu5t on Thursday February 21, 2013 @12:41PM (#5258749)

Disagree. Ideas are not property. Patents and copyrights are violations of my ability to freely associate and contract.

There's nothing wrong with entering into an agreement where you agree not to share something or republish it. But that agreement is between you and the other party - not me.

Such agreements are entirely different than patents and copyright, which forces the absurdity that something I legitimately acquired is not my own.

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