mikegonta wrote:
To patent or not to patent, that is the (only) question.
since no one answered the actual question....
To patent or not to patent... (your idea, algorithm, code, etc...)
To patent:
1) DON'T RELEASE IT UNTIL YOU ARE READY - you can't patent if you have already distributed it - 'patent pending' only applies if you actually are pending....
2) be prepared for a long hard slog - you have to describe your thing is a fashion that can be understood by those knowledgeable of the "art" - and there will be people who will read your patent application and call you out on far reaching claims etc...
3) go ahead and start a trade secret who saw what when and where log and make people SIGN IT....
4) go ahead and start making people sign non-disclosures NOW (google "palantir patent suit' for some fun enlightening reading)
5) put money away to get international patents so the Israelies will have to pause before deploying your product before you...
6) put money away for lawyers to sue Apple when they deploy your product before you AND push through THEIR patent of your product before you
7) be prepared for years of working on something while NOT working in the computer world because your employment contract states that everything you create whether on company time OR NOT is their property....
put money away to hire lawyers to deal with your former employer wanting a piece of the pie....
9) DONT READ LOOKAT THINK ABOUT OR OTHERWISE IMPLY any existing open source code was within a 100 mile radius of your research and development team because the FSF will sue your @$$... so put money away for that too...
10) enjoy having a monopoly on a technology that became obsolete 4 years after you applied for your patent and 1 year before it was granted....
To not patent:
1) get your cash....
2) get it fast as you can...
3) sell your company
I hope I have clarified the situation (from my own actual prior and current experience on both sides of the question...)
good day... and good luck