Google just launched a search engine for finding patents. I typed in my name and discovered that I had been awarded a patent (assigned to Microsoft) for some obscure PivotTable feature in Excel.
In my MBA program, I attended some classes and seminars in a variety of laws including intellectual property law. I also used to regularly attend monthly sessions given by Washington Software Association to keep up to date on latest changes to law regarding software.
I have ambivalent feelings about whether I should seek patents. Software patents limit technological progress, and I would like to see the day when computers take over the world before I die.
There are a number of genuine inventions in my product that I think are patent-worthy. My needs are primarily defensive, though. I am not incline to sue anymore, especially the open-source community and small companies, and have even thought about opening up technology after I made a independently livable amount of wealth.
I could used this as a bargaining chip if I ever sold my technology. However, if that happen, I could get into the awful position of not being able to use what I invented. There’s a staggering amount of reuse between different areas of my product, and this is principally due to the inherently compositional nature of functional-style programming.
Incidentally, I have been contacted by the chief scientist of a leading source code analysis company, flowing with PhDs. He called my product “unique and interesting” and inquired about how my product works; he also mentioned potential business cooperation opportunities. Maybe, I hit some gold.
I can’t afford to actually buy a lawyer, but, since I am a do-it-yourselfer, I purchased last year Patent It Yourself by Nolo Press and other manuals. The law is constantly changing, so you need the latest copy.
If I do go ahead, I may also buy Nolo’s software package, PatentEase. First, I would do a provisional patent application, which allows me to label my product as “patent-pending” and gives me a one-year window to actually file an application (I believe, but ask a real lawyer). Since I have been through the process before, have taken a number of basic courses, I think that I am prepared even though I am sure I will make some mistakes.
My motivation isn’t mostly money. I will probably never buy a large house or a car that costs over 40K. I inherited my father’s value system, which regards excessive, ostentatious wealth as vulgar. My motivation is to avoid meaningless work at a large corporation, to eliminate stress and to maintain a high level of freedom. I like the idea of staying a small company. My motivation is also intellectual—to explore the unrealized possibilities of computer, to find that intersection of human and computer intelligence.
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