>>"It was never the object of patent laws to grant a monopoly for every trifling device, every shadow of a shade of an idea, which would naturally and spontaneously occur to any skilled mechanic or operator in the ordinary progress of manufactures. Such an indiscriminate creation of exclusive privileges tends rather to obstruct than to stimulate invention. It creates a class of speculative schemers who make it their business to watch the advancing wave of improvement, and gather its foam in the form of patented monopolies, which enable them to lay a heavy tax on the industry of the country, without contributing anything to the real advancement of the arts. It embarrasses the honest pursuit of business with fears and apprehensions of unknown liability lawsuits and vexatious accounting for profits made in good faith."
>> --U.S. Supreme Court, Atlantic Works vs. Brady, 1882
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>Yet I've heard about the website which gathered a lot of mathematical stuff, submitted by volunteers, and then someone published it all as a book and managed to get a copyright on the content.
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>Theoretically, with a few top-notch lawyers, you could claim a patent on fire or wheel, as the direct descendant of the original inventor.
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>My opinion remains the same - if anything screws up the American way of life, it will be the American legal system. The extreme event which showed the paradox was a storm last year, when my wife and daughters went swimming to the lake (operated by the county). I was supposed to pick them after work, but the storm hit just after four. The storm wasn't really that much, and they thought they'd just stay away from the rain, under the roof of the restaurant terrace. But no, the personnel insisted that everyone should leave. They had no money with themselves, didn't know my phone on the job, eventually hitched a ride home.
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>What's the point: the last thing you want to do at such a weather is drive through a forest - visibility's low, road is slippery, branches can fall off. Yet they pushed everyone out instead of giving them shelter, so nobody gets hurt on the premises and will not sue them. If they get killed on the road, it's their problem.

Dragan;

But if you were killed under such circumstances I am sure there would be a long line of attorneys waiting to represent your Estate! You could then rest in peace. :)

Tom