Actually the patent lasts for 20 years<br><br clear="all">-Billy<br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2009/11/13 ndungu stephen <span dir="ltr">&lt;<a href="mailto:ndungustephen@gmail.com">ndungustephen@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">My two cents....</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">If I spend X-billions making a multi-touch, I should be allowed X number of years to recover my money - because I came up with the idea first.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">


<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Secondly, If I come up with a multi-touch, and I do not patent, then company Y will patent and charge me for my own research.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">


<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">===</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Lack of patents will breed lack of motivation - and the world foresore this, and that&#39;s why the patents expire after a period of 5 years [correct me if I am wrong] - and the guys copying may just have to pay royalties.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">


<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Please read the story of the guy who invented the &quot;intermittent windshield wiper&quot; [google or wikipedia it]</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">


<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Or watch the movie [the dramatization is more exciting] &quot; A flash of Genius&quot; - a classic case of why patenting is important.</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">


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