“In Technology Wars, Using the Patent as a Sword” - New York Times Feature

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

Shlomi Fish wrote:

> One proponent of software patents on this list is Geoffrey, who claims it helped
> protect some obscure startups against people copying their ideas. However, given
> the huge and increasing spending on patent litigation, the problem of patent trolls
> and the fact that “In particular, between 1987 and 1994 , software
> patents issuance rose 195%, yet real company funded R&D fell by 21% in
> these (software) industries while rising by 25% in industries in general.” (see
> http://www.dwheeler.com/innovation/innovation.html ).

Just to amplify that fact, the cost of the computer I used in 1979 to do 
operating system development was about $5 million dollars. It was a dual 
processor system and on Sunday mornings, I got one of the processors to 
myself if I needed it. This was back in the days when you single stepped 
an operating system by pushing a button on the console.

By 1989, a similar system was about $250,000.

By 1994, everyone was doing their development on SUN computers at 
$10,000 each, or developing for Windows or BSD on 486 and pentium 
computers, which sold for $2,000.

So the cost of development shifted from hardware in the 1970's to 
salaries in the 1990's. During which time the salaries in dollars (not 
adjusted) doubled.

Note that in 1979 I did my software development in BAL and PL/I until 
around 1991 or 1992, and from there on in C and later in PERL.

So I say that he is wrong, and there was much more innovation and 
therefore more patent applications because the cost of software 
development plummeted.

It even went farther down as cheap markets, e.g. Israel, India and China 
opened up.

Geoff.




-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson,  N3OWJ/4X1GM/KBUH7245/KBUW5379
"Owning a smartphone: Technology's equivalent to learning to play
chopsticks on the piano as a child and thinking you're a musician."
(sent to me by a friend)