I spent some time at Edison's Lab a couple of days ago and saw the massive number of things he had patented, for better or worse. He personally amassed some 1,000+ patents, a feat allowed by having lots of lawyers.
I was then interested to see a piece in
Wired on the 3D printers bemoaning the number of blocking patents in existence which will make consumer based 3D printing a thing of the distant future. That frankly is a shame. You see Edison had lots of machinists who could make from metal anything he dreamed up. At the time they machinists were cheap and the technology was expensive. But he could crank out anything. 3D printing could do for our economy what the PC did in the early 80s. But due to the Patent office it will not. Apparently the Patent office will patent anything, thus creating massive road blocks filled with litigation. We have created the seeds of our own destruction.
To quote Wired:
If you're waiting for desktop additive-manufacturing technology to move
closer to professional-level results, be prepared to wait for a very
long time....We've uncovered 10 patents that could severely stifle innovation in the
low-cost segment of the 3-D printing market and keep you from making
colorful, smooth-finished figures and precise, articulating parts. These
patents cover core technologies and ease-of-use features, and could
take momentum from the upstarts and return it to the entrenched
companies.
Indeed, the patents will block any such innovation. The tool would have allowed for the explosion in 3D product and technology creativity. The 3D printer is what programs were in the 80s, we had millions of new applications, and the 3D printer would facilitate millions of new "things", things which could create considerable prosperity. Yet if not here in the US, it will more than likely leak to other less controlling countries.
I am not a fan of patents. I understand them and have been through the process. Some are beneficial but all too often they become trolls under the bridge, bringing no true value, just fees.
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