I also find the "bad PR" notions of PG and his rah-rah crowd on HN as deluded self-importance. The world at large does not care about such things. HN has become a self-selecting fish-bowl. In context of bad PR and PG's musings about 'me don't know if patents help or hurt innovation in history of tech', again I could not but think of that Edison and his desperate resort to "PR" -- electrocuted elephants and other large mammals -- when faced with robust patents of our very dear Nicola Tesla. Q for Hubski: Do you think Edison would need to kill helpless animals if he didn't have to do a run around of Tesla's patents? He did, in fact, ultimately license the very same ...
As for the question, I am not sure. If patents are about protecting the inventor, I think that they should be skewed as such. Say a patent is good for 20 years. Ok. But if you sell, it, say it is now good for 10 years (less the time that has already passed). Sold again, 5 years, and so on. That might take the currency aspect out of the system, or at least keep the inventor in for the ride.
I believe the above program of reform would address the critical failings of the patent system --
(a) ~ rigorous patent validity fact finding is currently delegated to courts; (b) the quite substantial costs of establishing patents internationally via WIPO (which forces some inventors to sell their soul to money bags.) 1 - All science, engineering, and mathematic federal scholarships
must be tied to a Federal USPTO examiner service obligation (like ROTC)
2 - All provisional patent applications must be published within the period of
9-12 months of the registration of PPA. Practitioners in the field may file
records of objection due to prior art during this period with USPTO.
3 - The United States of America, in recognition of importance of innovation
to social progress underwrites the costs of patent issuance at WIPO.
This is further incentive for the Federal Government to insure it does not issue bogus patents.
[deps: (1) (2)]
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h1249/text PG
Be brave, then; for your captain is brave, and vows
reformation. There shall be in England seven
halfpenny loaves sold for a penny: the three-hooped
pot; shall have ten hoops and I will make it felony
to drink small beer: all the realm shall be in
common; and in Cheapside shall my palfrey go to
grass: and when I am king, as king I will be,--
HN
God save your majesty!
PG
I thank you, good people: there shall be no money;
all shall eat and drink ramen on my score; and I will
apparel them all in one liverĪ», that they may agree
like brothers and worship me their lord.
ALPHAZERO
The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers.
PG
Nay, that I mean to do. Is not this a lamentable
thing, that of the skin of an innocent lamb should
be made parchment? that parchment, being scribbled
o'er, should undo a man? Some say the bee stings:
but I say, 'tis the bee's wax; for I did but seal
once to a thing, and I was never mine own man
since. How now! who's there?
But pg defends himself in the (HN thread)[http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2947462] rather well, I think: a small positive step is still a visible change.