NASA has filed over 6,300 patents in its 55 year history and is responsible for everyday items like scratch-resistant lenses, infrared ear thermometers, shoe insoles, cordless tools, and water filters. All of this is done for less than 1% of the annual US budget.
What else has NASA done for you? Read more:
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/earth/technologies/spinoffs.html#.UhOFMtKjOSo
It is horrific that a government agency can own patents.
ReplyDeleteEh...Why is the government allowed to patent shit? in the time and world we live u still find horrific what a gov can do? Come on David...absolute power corrupts absolutely
ReplyDeleteI haven't become jaded, Corina -- and never will be. Eyes and ears wide open, mind filtering is not ignoring nor permitting oneself to be dulled by the constant hits. The government does nothing, can do nothing, it is not an entity but a collection of individuals and agreements among them. It is individuals acting under the guise of government agency that do stuff.
ReplyDeleteI don't see why corporations can patent shit either, frankly. Only individuals can originate ideas.
In fact, I don't think corporations or governments can actually file patents per se -- I think only individuals can. Then the patent rights can be assigned to corporations or governments. Which means: corporations and governments can own patents, but not originate them. That is my reading of the law.
ReplyDeleteWhich begs the question: what does "ownership" mean, and does it make sense for named agreements (e.g., corporations and/or governments) to own stuff in the first place?
ReplyDeleteNo, that’s just so "commustic" making small tribes with ownership in a country like, McDonald’s, Hertz, etc.
ReplyDeleteUmmmm as far as I know... the government can obtain all rights to any invention made by an employee if any one of the following conditions applies: the invention is made during working hours; the invention is made using either government facilities, equipment, etc., or is made with the help of another government employee who is on official duty; or the invention relates to the official duties of the inventor.
ReplyDeleteYes, but the patent itself must have the name of a natural born person on filing, is my understanding.
ReplyDelete