Atomized

Enough is enough

Plots may be patentable now. PJ says this reads like something from The Onion, and I agree. Is this a prank? I simply cannot fathom something this ridiculous occurring. My reaction is one of strained incredulity, as if I had been breathlessly informed that Adam West was breakdancing in the street surrounded by midgets yodeling “Amazing Grace.”

If this is serious, I suggest we listen to Shakespeare:

The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.

Discussion

This seems like it’ll blow over like the wheel pattent or the Bible copyright. Sure, someone might have the pattent on the amnesia example given on Groklaw, but there’s no way to actually enforce it. Their full on correct– new ideas are not formed in a vacuum. Otherly said, there’s nothing new under the sun. All we have are variations on the high multitude of storylines already written. Besides, we already have protection on this kind of intellectual property to an extent that makes sense, it’s called copyright. You have *specific* characters engaged in a *specific* plot. By trying to pattent a plot, the suing party is essentially trying to claim intellectual propriety for something that quite literally belongs to all of us. What’s the purpose in attempting to copyright something essentially as old as we (collectively) are?

sam hedge

2005/11/05

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