By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. CLTI07 - David Snowden the Patternizing Brain
Dave Snowden is generally pretty up on things, and this presentation summary illustrates nicely and simply the major elements of his thinking. "The brain is revealed as a pattern processor, in which original fragments last longer as being relevant than the context they are put in by our brain." The post contains links to more of Snowden's work. It would be nice to have a link to the presentation itself, though. More...
03 février 2020
CLTI07 - David Snowden the Patternizing Brain
15 décembre 2019
Mesure de l’innovation technologique : tirer parti de l’analyse sémantique des brevets
Le département Observatoire des Sciences et Techniques (OST) lance un projet de développement de nouveaux indicateurs pour mesurer l’innovation technologique grâce à l’analyse sémantique des brevets. Plus...07 novembre 2019
What'S Wrong with the Patent System? Fuzzy Boundaries and the Patent Tax
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. What'S Wrong with the Patent System? Fuzzy Boundaries and the Patent Tax
Article that highlights the issues caused by the current patent system. The core of the article identifies four areas of fuzziness: patent claims are hard to interpret, the can be hidden, can be issued without an actual invention, and are flooding the marketplace. It's virtually impossible to avoid infringing on a patent these days - or at least, to be accused of an infringement - and so the cost of patent litigation is essentially a tax that has been imposed by lawyers on innovators. More...
Local Search... Patented! Again!
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Local Search... Patented! Again!
Another case of patenting the obvious. They have to fix this system - meanwhile, though, I was reading in University Business that some universities are opposing patent reforms. Left hand, shoot right foot. Also from TechDirt, see this item on how patents make innovation more difficult and more expensive. More...
16 octobre 2019
Software Patents: Why Should We Care?
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Software Patents: Why Should We Care?
"Imagine a world," writes Alfred Essa, "in which Socrates not only originated the dialogue form of inquiry but also filed a patent claiming "intellectual property" rights for his invention and then vigorously enforced his patent against the Sophists to ensure the 'purity' of his learning method." This situation gets at the heart of the problem with software patents - they allow people to claim the ridiculous as 'intellectual property'. But we also need a strategy for what to do in an environemnt (such as the U.S.) where software patents are legal, which Essa provides. More...
07 octobre 2019
Digging Patents
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. Digging Patents
This is actually a good idea. The U.S. Patent Office is setting up a system to post new patent applications online and to invite comments from the web, using "a Digg-style rating system to allow readers to push the most relevant postings to the top where they will be reviewed by patent examiners". More...
02 octobre 2019
US Patent and Trade Office Grants Re-Examination Request to Desire2Learn
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. US Patent and Trade Office Grants Re-Examination Request to Desire2Learn
This is the second re-examination request the Patent office has considered; the previous was on behalf of the open source learning management systems. In the wacky world of U.S. patents, though, Desire2Learn could end up paying even if the patent is overturned, as the East Texas kangaroo court where the case is being held has refused to stay the proceedings pending the results of the re-examination. More...
EduPatent Alerts
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. EduPatent Alerts
Michael Feldstein has performed a service by creating 'Edupatent Alerts' - essentially an RSS aggregator that will flag any post that tags or uses the word 'edupatent' (including, I guess, this one). The idea is to help educators keep each other informed as these damaging patents come down that dysfunctional pipe known as the U.S. Patent Office. "If we all make use of this system, then you won't have to rely on just a couple of bloggers (e.g., me) to be able to see everything that's relevant and post about it". More...
15 septembre 2019
Ohio State Denied Trademark of the Word “THE”
By Greta Anderson. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected Ohio State University's attempt to trademark the word "THE" for its university clothing and merchandise. More...
09 septembre 2019
Software Patent Ignites Firestorm in Higher Education
By Stephen Downes - Stephen's Web. John Cox[Edit][Delete]: Software Patent Ignites Firestorm in Higher Education, Network World [Edit][Delete] November 15, 2006
Network World covers the Blackboard patent lawsuit. "It's a case in which the level of vitriol and vilification is making the long-running and now-settled patent battle between Research in Motion and NTP look like high tea at the Ritz. There are claims, counterclaims, a civil suit, an extraordinary demand from a higher education IT group and a mounting torrent of blog postings. More...
