Expect a Flood of Competitions As US Tries To Spur Public Inventions 75
coondoggie writes "When it comes to stirring the brains of genius, a good competition can bring forward some really great ideas. That's the driving notion behind myriad public competitions, or challenges, as they are often labeled, that will take place in the near future sponsored by the U.S. government. The competitions are increasing by design as part of the $45 billion America Competes Act renewed by Congress last year that gave every federal department and agency the authority to conduct prize competitions, according to the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy."
Well, okay... (Score:5, Insightful)
Is the government going to indemnify me if my invention happens to violate one of the fifty gazillion patents that are already out there?
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Well, okay... (Score:1, Insightful)
You hit the nail on the head, You can't create a product these days without a $50 Million dollar war chest of patents and lawyers. You can hold all of the competitions and provide capital for all of the small manufactures you want but if the patent system isn't reigned most are going to be ground under the heal of some international corporation looking to stifle the compilation or die the death of a thousand cuts from patent trolls looking to pillage every cent they can using the patent system as a pirate ship.