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Barry Shnikov · 22nd-March-2008, 07:51 PM

You can't patent ideas. You can only patent the practical application of an idea.

Otherwise any fool can walk into a patent office with 10,000 completely barking ideas and just wait for some genius to invent a practical application for one of them and have to pay a humungous licence fee.

"I have this idea for a computer display screen which you can roll up like a blueprint and stick in your pocket." "Wow, how's that work then?" "No idea, but it ought to make me a few bob when someone figures it out."

Clarke was a great s-f thinker but not really a great writer. Bit like Heinlein - you read their stuff to boggle your mind as much as anything.

Rendezvous with Rama was brilliant; but I've always thought he should have resisted the request to write a sequel. Let alone two.

Compare Gateway by Frederik Pohl, which touched on similar themes but also had a more-than-ordinary story about people and relationships which was integral to the novel.

22nd-March-2008, 07:51 PM	#7 (permalink)
Barry Shnikov Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Southampton Posts: 5,956 Status: No Status Rep Power: 5 Rep.: 1278	Re: Arthur C.Clarke R.I.P You can't patent ideas. You can only patent the practical application of an idea. Otherwise any fool can walk into a patent office with 10,000 completely barking ideas and just wait for some genius to invent a practical application for one of them and have to pay a humungous licence fee. "I have this idea for a computer display screen which you can roll up like a blueprint and stick in your pocket." "Wow, how's that work then?" "No idea, but it ought to make me a few bob when someone figures it out." Clarke was a great s-f thinker but not really a great writer. Bit like Heinlein - you read their stuff to boggle your mind as much as anything. Rendezvous with Rama was brilliant; but I've always thought he should have resisted the request to write a sequel. Let alone two. Compare Gateway by Frederik Pohl, which touched on similar themes but also had a more-than-ordinary story about people and relationships which was integral to the novel.