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> You created nothing except the manner of expression.
Right.
> Haven't you ever noticed what a huge deal it is when
> scientific discoveries are published? It's the green
> light for anyone and everyone to use the information
> within the paper.
... unless it's patented or otherwise covered by intellectual property
protection. It's been a while since I've looked at the various forms of
applicable IP protection, so I can't comment knowledgeably. Suffice it to
say that "due diligence" is not a trifling issue.
If anything, publication has a nasty tendency of invalidating IP claims,
either through prior art (that is, evidence of publication of the item in
question prior to the claimed date of first publication or use) or by
tossing works into the public domain.
I'm not disagreeing with you, Bonnie. If anything, we're in agreement. I'm
just pointing out that to the best of my knowledge, there are exceptions.
I'm not a lawyer.
IP issues arising from university research are such fun. With a new
discovery, do you publish to avoid perishing? Do you remain true to the
ideals of free dissemination of information, or do you restrict yourself to
repayment of the investments made through grants from public and private
industries? How do you deal with your grad-student research assistants, who
are undoubtedly excited about events and will probably use them in their
theses (which, in Canada, will end up in the National Library)? As I
understand it, you file the patent application well before you publish, but
the fact is, you're pressured to try to publish anything and everything you
can.
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