new patents 2
i'm working on a great new invention. a thneed is what everyone needs. i try to keep it secret. but microsoft hears about it. and they blow a gazzillion dollars and get their thneed done before i do. i'm screwed. they own the patent. scenario #2. let's say apple hears about my cool new thneed and they make an i-thneed. because an i-thneed is what everyone needs. i take them to court. they're clearly infringing. so they owe me whatever i can convice the judge my patent is worth. apple's legal team blitzes the court. and convinces them that apple could have made equivalent zneeds for much less development cost. and the thneed is really a tiny fraction of the whole product package that apple's selling. so i'm screwed again. it doesn't matter that apple botched the marketing of this product and i could have made a ton more money selling it on my own. not relevant. i get a sliver. maybe even enough to pay my lawyer. thank you patent reform.