Frequently a great invention or a meaningful innovation requires input from an outsider with a new perspective. Those close to a problem, including or even especially the leading experts with years of deep experience, can easily become stuck in an intellectual rut that drives them to see the problem in their own incomplete way. Outsiders …
The Invention of the Magnetic Strip on Plastic Cards Read More »
Pop stars seem to get all the publicity, so it’s cool that CNN finally did a major story about a real inventor and his useful, practical, real-world anti-gravity patent, US Patent #5255452, “Method and Means for Creating Anti-gravity Illusion” by Michael J. Jackson. Heard of him? Apparently this inventor did a little singing and dancing …
CNN Finally Covers a Great American Inventor and His Patent Read More »
Abraham Lincoln said that the patent system “added the fuel of interest to the fires of genius.†Today the fires of genius and the fire of innovation itself is getting doused with something less helpful than fuel. These fires are being cooled and, in some cases, extinguished with harsh attacks on the IP rights that …
More Cold Water on the Fire of Innovation: Unnecessary Patent Reform Read More »
In a few days, I’ll be speaking about IP and innovation in China at the RISE 2015 conference in Miami, Florida, sponsored by INDA (a professional organization for the nonwoven fabrics industry). In my presentation, I’ll be sharing my “Dangerfield Theory” of IP and innovation in China. The Dangerfield Theory is based on comedian Rodney …
The Dangerfield Theory of Innovation and IP in China Read More »
At the Marcus Evans Innovate 2014 Conference in Shanghai today, I met Rosalie Wu, the head of marketing in China for the rapidly growing startup, Uber. Rosalie was Uber’s first hire in China and exemplifies the energetic, entrepreneurial spirit that is driving Uber to global success. She spoke about the development of Uber’s innovative business …
The hysteria against software patents continues around the globe, threatening to hinder the most important aspects of the knowledge economy in favor of clinging to old industrial age paradigms. The real problem with software patents has been the large number of poor quality patents issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office due to bad …
Billionaire Mark Cuban, after complaining about patent lawyers making too much money, condemned the US patent system for blocking innovation. He and some other wealthy elites are troubled by US patent rights and would like to dismantle large parts of the system. This is a growing and troubling trend. The voices in the tech community …
Abandon the US Patent System? Sure, If Killing Innovation is Your Goal Read More »
A grand old movie is “The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell” starring Gary Cooper as the aviation innovator Billy Mitchell. Billy Mitchell has a major airport named after him in Milwaukee and there is a small museum honoring him in the airport. Today his name is honored as one of the great champions of innovation …
Punishing Innovation: Lessons from the Court Martial of Billy Mitchell Read More »
A surprisingly common problem in industry is that the technologies and systems that some large companies use are clearly not the “best” choices based on a variety of fairly objective standards. I’m not necessarily talking about difficult trade-offs where the “best” technology involves high cost and high risk, but am also considering cases where there …
“This is something that is dangerous and clearly unsanitary,” warned New York senator Jeffrey Klein in October 2009. “Once we shed light on this dirty little process, more people will avoid it and we can ban it.” The terrifying menace that so worried the good state senator and led him to introduce legislation to ban …
Eaten Alive By Regulation: Innovation Fatigue and Fish Therapy Read More »