Aussie Wi-Fi Patent Nears Expiry In the United States 48
Bismillah writes "Australia's national science and research agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization or CSIRO, has netted hundreds of millions on developing the near-ubiquitous Wi-Fi technology — and patenting it. Now however the patent is about to expire in the United States and eighteen other markets and the question is, can CSIRO come up with anything similarly successful in the future?"
Re:Really? Only $430 million? (Score:5, Insightful)
~$0.08 per device for one of the most significant and widely known technologies in use today, someone got a good deal, wasn't the Aussies
I don't know. Yes, WiFi is everywhere now, and it's easy to conclude that they should have charged more. but would WiFi have taken off in the same way if they had charged more? Perhaps not. Hindsight is easy. Foresight isn't.
Besides, I think I could retire quite comfortably on $430 million, even in Australia.