[time-nuts] Patents was: Re: Phase Noise of 74AC gates

[Christopher Hoover]

On 2/20/2010 11:43 AM, Jim Lux wrote:
>   His comment was that once the patent issues, nobody can duplicate (legally)
> what you describe in your disclosure (assuming the claims were written to
> cover it), so why be coy and vague.

I think that's generally good advice.

But sometimes it is difficult, expensive or even impossible to detect 
infringement.

In this case you may not want to file (i.e. keep it a trade secret) or 
be somewhat vague in the disclosure.

I'm not defending the practice, but this is a factor.

It certainly hasn't helped the system that you no longer have to 
demonstrate the invention first in most categories.

-ch