HN Explorer

11 comments

[ 3.8 ms ] story [ 29.7 ms ] thread
droidist2
Google is doing a lot of this stuff, filing patents on machine learning techniques from decades ago and loads of other things, and often getting the patents granted. It's pretty infuriating.
mcappleton
A lot of it is probably defensive. If they don't Microsoft will and they'll just have to pay Microsoft. It's not their fault. It's the patent systems fault. I don't think you should be able to patent an algorithm, but that's just me
[dead] Tanegashima
This is exactly why I hate Google and want everything coming from them to fail.

This won’t appear on mainstream tech sites, because Google buys the press, and with it, millions of fanboys.

It’s a shame that excellent pool of talent is wasted in this company with no principles and ridiculously bad management.

jiqiren
This must be part of that "Don't be evil" mantra I keep hearing about.
FullMtlAlcoholc
The one that was officially dropped? Google may be a lot of things, but one can no longer throw that motto at them and call them hypocrites.
Sir_Substance
Let's be clear on this: it was never official to begin with.
ocdtrekkie
Well, they kinda replaced it with Alphabet's "Do the right thing", which is equally meaningless and similarly hilarious when compared with their actual conduct.
gregatragenet3
Figured stuff like this would happen when the US switched from first to invent to first to file. It was a bad change... But benefits the big co's who write the legislati.. I mean participate in our fine democracy by providing campaign contributions to those fine selfless individuals who run things from Washington.
john_moscow
Wouldn't the patent be immediately rendered void due to prior art anyway?