Ask HN: How much is HTTP worth?
If HTTP was for sale or at auction today, how much do you think it could go for? And which companies or people do you think would be interested in buying it?
HTTP was for sale
For instance, "selling" exclusive rights to serve HTTP would likely devalue the protocol to zero as quickly as systems could switch over to something else.
Ah, it's an NFT hard problem.
I think the extensibility of the protocol together with some proprietary features layered on top might have value though. I can't think of an example at the moment.
All of that is to say, HTTP is effectively infinitely valuable to society at this point, and it's so valuable precisely because it was never directly commercialized.
Are those additions unique? Tim Berners-Lee certainly hit a good set of features, since it led to such a development. Having telnet as the base simplifies tinkering; having key-value set as the header can perhaps be improved, but still rather good. Suppose there is a comprehensive enforceable patent for HTTP - how much it would cost?
There is a history of Wright's brothers patent - https://wrightstories.com/articles/patent-wars/ - "The patent covered the control system of the 1902 glider involving the simultaneous use of wingwarping and rudder to perform a controlled turn and the ability to maintain roll stability." We know how it went - basically, this feature is used everywhere, even though alternatives could perhaps be devised (some more direct air pushers at the end of wings for control?) Does it illustrate possible fate of HTTP patent? If this is what's in cards for HTTP, for how much it could sell?
We need to find something which would hit a sweet spot with companies willing to buy rather than copy and trivially change, and where genuine re-development is too costly. I don't see something like this right now; something like royalties for RAMBUS memory was perhaps paid because there is a small window of time for the opportunity?
That is, if we consider the question as a matter of intellectual property. If there is different scenario - like, a scientist comes to a company and announces the magical process which would bring profits, but needs initial roll-out and payments to the inventor, the company's CEO would probably be hesitant.
I guess the answer is - not too much, both in immediate and subsequent payments. Small millions at most, perhaps, and that is assuming it's not here already and there is no corresponding environment around it - much less if an alternative already exist? One should look for people and companies with some special needs - military? unique markets? fundamental research? government-related economical think tanks? - where buyers would be easier to find?..
it's official. Jeff Bezos can't buy HTTP.