Mini Summary notes of the meeting at Microsoft with Mr. Darren Jiron

1. Patents are all about to execlude others from practicing the invention, but not nessesarily about allowing you to practice the invention. That is because others can have a patent with wider claim than yours, allowing them to exclude your invention…
2. Patent is enforced only via the claims it has included, not by its topics
3. You want your claims to capture the maximum possible implementation of your invention. For example if you invented the first pencil, your description better aim to include other alternatives for a device used for writing, such as a pen…On the other hand over-generalizing can lead to rendering the patent as void.
4. Patents can help you maximize the value of your invention, (my addition: but you better have it valuable for your customers in the first place..)

Additionally I have to say that looking at the last years filled with patent trolls and patent wars, I’d prefer to get inventions free to use for everyone, with the obligation to pay the patent owners, only when it makes the user of the invention, a revenue, and payment would be a small percent of the revenue. That way inventors earn what they should, while innovation and market growth is not blocked. Not easy, but very possible to implement.

What do you think?