[Ti] patenting your idea (was: Poll 19)

[Tarik Bilgin]

On 11 Jun 2004, at 15:17, Dr. Trevor J. Hutley wrote:

> Unfortunately (I am not a patent lawyer, but I am pretty sure that) it 
> is not possible to patent an idea, it has to be a novel and useful 
> invention that has been reduced to practice, and the patent is the 
> disclosure of how you do that, in exchange for which you get the 
> exclusive right to practise the invention for 20 years.

Obviously the time depends on the jurisdiction.  Many software 
companies are bending the rules by "blinding the lawyers with science". 
  Somehow Microsoft recently manage to patent the use of cookies ...

It's all getting a bit silly really.

--
Tarik