Comment on Ford Patents In-Car System That Eavesdrops So It Can Play You Ads
SkyNTP@lemmy.ml 1 week agoThis is not how patents work. At all.
For one, patent owners are generally more than happy to license their technology to integrators, and even competitors, if there is money to be made.
More importantly, patents cannot be used to get exclusivity on products. Rather, patents can only protect novel approaches to how a product is made or served.
The patent system is designed to protect R&D costs, not circumvent anti trust. Of course, the patent office isn’t perfect, the system does get abused in anti-competitive ways. But in the end, it’s rare that that results in less consumer choice, because of licensing deals.
Zulu@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Yeah, the “let no one else use it” portion of my comment is what i meant when you say “patent owners are generally more than happy to license their tech”
I hope ford doesn’t.
And yes while patents dont grant exclusivity it gives a company the option to try and argue that a competitors version isnt novel enough. In the USA, where ford is from, patent law screwery is abounds if you have enough money. Of which Ford is backed by the US government.
Im not here to point out whether or not the patent is the issue. The problem is the spying and selling of personal data. If ford proceeds in a way that limits that exposure to the rest of car manufacturers then fantastic, even if its only in a nominal way.
I do still appreciate your refresher on how patents work though! Hope the rest of your day goes well.
werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 1 week ago
Same sentiment. I hope this patent rots so deep in their patent system that the hard drives turn to dust.
rebelsimile@sh.itjust.works 1 week ago
I also understood what you clearly meant but this is a good exercise in not blowing up at a pedant.