[Cryptography] Software patent lifetimes are the problem (Re: Hashgraph)

[Howard Chu]

Henry Baker wrote:
> Later, during the "Enlightenment", those rent-seekers ("rentiers") wanting patent monopolies developed better branding and public relations, and thus the concept of granting patents in exchange for disclosure was born.  But this was merely an artificially-contrived excuse for a *theory*, and was *never scientifically tested*.  Indeed, the concept that patents encourage innovation (and hopefully more taxable income for the state) has about the same scientific basis as bleeding to cure various diseases.

Not to disagree with an otherwise excellent post, but bloodletting was 
actually an effective defense against the Black Death. In particular, the 
plague bacterium fed on iron in the blood; people who were anemic tended to be 
immune. Interesting that the plague tended to kill the wealthy population first...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11640368

> Jefferson fully understood the difference: "He who receives an idea from me, receives the instruction himself *without himself lessening mine;* as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me."
> 
> Jefferson, as politician, sold out, while Franklin realized the true nature of innovation: it is a *network effect*, whose value increases with the number of people who understand and use it; excluding people from its use *actually slows innovation and its economic benefits*.
> 
> [Best recent example: 3D printing.  It only captured the imagination of the public after the major early patents expired.  This close temporal succession is not a coincidence.]


-- 
   -- Howard Chu
   CTO, Symas Corp.           http://www.symas.com
   Director, Highland Sun     http://highlandsun.com/hyc/
   Chief Architect, OpenLDAP  http://www.openldap.org/project/