Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by bombs 5781 days ago
Independent invention (i.e. clean room) isn't a defence against patents.
1 comments

It sucks when I can write a cleanroom interpreter/compiler that happens to understand Java bytecode and nobody would raise an eyebrow but when Google does it, everyone able will pull their leeching fingers out because Google has money.

If patents were forced to be applied and enforced unilaterally, nobody could do anything useful because everyone would be so busy filing lawsuits and hiring defense lawyers.

It's not as bad as the reverse, because it means you're less likely to be affected unless you're already rich. Which sucks, but hey, at least you're rich.