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In the tech woeld, patents should last just one year. Enough time to build and market your product and have the advantage of being first.

After that is open season for everybody to improve upon that patent, everybody wins.

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The guy (Doug Englebart) who invented and patented the mouse saw it expire a few years before the GUI explosion. Does this make sense? Cringely says it takes 20 years for technology to come to the fore. Patents are 17 (?) years or so. Is this fair?

No, but I also don't think it's a coincidence.

Yes, it is fair. The world has changed a lot and nowadays if you have a patent worthwile funds will flood your bank account to bring it to reality in no time.

The rest is bureaucracy or just plain bad intention.

I agree. The reason Doug had to wait for a GUI was that microcomputers weren't fast enough to implement them. Although I imagine the Amiga and Mac brought him some money (patent was 1970, assume 17 years to bring 1987), I agree with you that hardware speed and capability is enough to get going in maybe 2 years.

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