As recently as two months ago a young entrepreneur took an invention to a company I am invested in, negotiated to sell or license the invention. After many meetings the CEO told this person that the company had decided it could just copy the invention. At the next meeting the CEO said that he had just discovered that his company had, unbeknownst to him, “been working on just the same invention for several months before” negotiations had begun with the young entrepreneur. This seemed rather incredible, but what was the young man to do?
Theft of legitimate inventions, original innovations, is a day-to-day occurrence in the technology ecosystem. This is the elephant on the table in discussions of patents. What is needed by true innovators, by creative people, is better protection, not weaker protection.
Honestly, I am angry about this situation. I am saddened by the stories of young people and young companies whose inventions are stolen by those with the money and the market power to capitalize on these inventions.
