Quote:
Originally Posted by Daithi
No, BOb had it right. Patents are for devices and NOT for ideas.
Copyright applies to written material.
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http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...0/ai_85370053/
And, of course, you do know movies and music are *not*written material right?
Copyright also applies to binary software code and other non-written creations. A particular idea can be covered by one patent and multiple copyrights for different expressions of that idea. Say I come up with an algorithm to, I dunno, encode a database into a series of fractals. If nobody has documented the idea before me, I might get a patent and license it to several different companies that implement it differently in their products. One idea, one patent (mine), multiple implementation products (that might not even be compatible) each covered by a valid copyright.
The concept that patents is for hardware and copyright is for written material worked in the 19th century but electronics, computers, and geneyics all break the mold. It now possible to protect hardware with copyrights (ask Apple) and software and even ephemera via patents.
The world of IP is messy, confusing, and in dire need of updating but until it is, "them's the rules".
So, in the day-to-day reality out there, creative folks can choose to protect the fruit of their labors through copyright, patent, trademark, trade dress, trade secrets, or via contract, all depending on the circumstances.
As a rule of thumb, engineers and inventors get screwed and lawyers get rich.
Non-creative folks, on the other hand, mostly just whine about IP laws and do nothing.
Later! I've got a patent in the oven...
