Getting patent is fucking expensive, also it is afaik region-limited. You can get your patent for say EU, you need lawyers and lot of money for that, and if you would like to extend that to US, you need new lawyers and more money.
So it is out of realm of what’s possible for normal person.
It’s not that expensive in the US. A few hundred is typical, and you don’t need a lawyer (though spending the money on one up front will save you from spending more when you screw it up the first few times).
Don’t you need working prototype to get a patent? Otherwise musk or bezos or another for-profit asshole could patent every known scifi gimmick, wait until someone actually invents it and then send him a bill…?
If a prototype is requires, only people with wealth could afford to produce a working prototype without revealing their invention to investors and without risk of the idea being stolen…
Good Guy Ford patents the worst possible technology so no other automaker can use it, and then never implements it themselves.
That’s what I was going to ask, should people start patenting things in order to prevent companies from using them?
Getting patent is fucking expensive, also it is afaik region-limited. You can get your patent for say EU, you need lawyers and lot of money for that, and if you would like to extend that to US, you need new lawyers and more money.
So it is out of realm of what’s possible for normal person.
It’s not that expensive in the US. A few hundred is typical, and you don’t need a lawyer (though spending the money on one up front will save you from spending more when you screw it up the first few times).
Ok, that’s less than what I would have expected, but still more than what most people want to invest into something that’s basically a joke.
Feasible for a non-profit however
Don’t you need working prototype to get a patent? Otherwise musk or bezos or another for-profit asshole could patent every known scifi gimmick, wait until someone actually invents it and then send him a bill…?
Google says no, you don’t need one.
If a prototype is requires, only people with wealth could afford to produce a working prototype without revealing their invention to investors and without risk of the idea being stolen…
I think you can sue to invalidate a patent in that situation