The Futuof the National Space Society

>I think there are a couple of broad issues here.
>
>One is that technology protected for a short time by a patent could
>still be in the database of technological designs -- but perhaps not
>used in an actual physical implementation without royalties. (I worry
>about whether people might claim patents prevent using the techology
>idea in simulation -- perhaps a grey legal area?)

Why not just create a new bread of public license which takes care of
that were using those patented technology for simulation is allowed
and the author/inventor cant prevent others to use improved
technology through third party improvement patents?

>
>In the context of such a project, I don't have that much of a problem
>with hardware patents related to space technology -- in twenty years (a
>likely timeframe for projects to happen in) today's patents will all be
>expired (software patents are a different issue). I have more of an
>issue with copyrights, which are now effectively perpetual (they keep
>getting extended) and cover more and more aspects of a work than just
>the specific tangible form of it.

You should also have an issue with hardware patents, because before an
institution or company starts building hardware they want to make
sure, that nobody can prevent them to use patented technology.

The right of inventors to block others in using their inventions at
all blocks space development also.

To waive that right of inventors but letting them the right to charge
license fees (maybe limited to a given percentage) is what I propose
here.
That could speed up space exploration a lot I think.

For the copyright part of patented technology:
Why not just create a public license which encloses both, patent AND
copyrights of inventions, were copyrights expire with the patent?

Frank