Patents - how do I find out how it works! or what is patentable?

Original post @ 1/13/2009 12:38:00 PM

Nope... I am not talking about "How patents works?"  google search or in HowStuffWorks.com.

Some people tend to not like software patents as it kind of restricts the features being used widespread. Mostly OpenSource minds tend to believe nothing should be patentable and any new idea/tech should be reusable. Though makes sense, in this cut-throat competition world, don't see that as a possibility.

Now coming to the actual questions - I am still figuring how things work in the patent world. I see some cool ideas not getting patented or then some "not-so-cool" ideas getting patented and lying with no-one using them. Should all patents be productizable? Not definitely. Swype as a product - not sure if it will definitely catch on, but atleast with the patent, it knows there cannot be 100s of imitations of that in the market or a larger organisation adding it into their product and not paying any royalty to the actual idea generators.

Some companies just file patents to get richer by filing lawsuits against larger corporates who might be using the some rudimentary ideas which have now been granted to them.

There are both pros and cons... but given a chance, I believe people should get their ideas patented if applicable.. ..