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Submission + - 10 years since Human Genome was Sequenced, but ... (nature.com) 1

Submitted by
PdbAqB
PdbAqB writes: "has the race finished?
The race started with the establishment of neuro-informatics, using software to analyse the 120-million-base-pair genome of the fruit fly. The USA's Craig Venter's via his firm Celera challenged established government funded science and started the race then to sequence the human genome and patented software and algorithms that were used to analyse it, along with patents on drug target 150 genes. My understanding is that these patents did not, & do not, limit academic research into the human genome and that Venter's team was a major contributer to public gene libraries.

Where does the race end? Craig Venter in his book "A Life Decoded" started that the artificial cell was the next step, where drugs could be trailed by inserting cassettes of genes into DNA to model answers to disease and genetic deformities: Craig Venter is inspirational & what a decade!"
Patents

NZ Draft Bill Rules Out Software Patents 194

Posted by timothy from the plus-it's-beautiful-there dept.
Korgan writes "In what must be a first in the face of ACTA and US trade negotiations pressure, a Parliamentary select committee has released a draft bill that explicitly declares that software will no longer be patentable in New Zealand. FTA: 'Open source software champions have been influential in excluding software from the scope of patents in the new Patents Bill. Clause 15 of the draft Bill, as reported back from the Commerce Select Committee, lists a number of classes of invention which should not be patentable and includes the sub-clause "a computer program is not a patentable invention."'"

Comment Chinese government's "complex" as to what passes (Score 3, Interesting) 125

by PdbAqB (#31643520) Attached to: A Look Into China's Web Censorship Program
Our site http://1place.com.au/ is blocked which on has our work or intellectual property generally (e.g. art events, design, patents, copyright, latest trade mark disputes, great marketing podcasts...) .... However, the bare buttocks at the opera house as photographed by Spencer Tunick has no problems getting passed the great wall: http://thespencertunickexperience.org/2010-03_Sydney/Sydney_The_Base_2010.htm I was surprised. We were informed by a Chinese resident that: "Nudity is no probelm. It is subversive activity [of IP protection] such as your website that is blocked."

Submission + - Software for modeling legal outcomes available

Submitted by
PdbAqB
PdbAqB writes: "We need a software solution to model legal outcomes available to individual:
(i) If law is based on Acts of Parliament which are written in a tree structure;
(ii) Then Information can be placed into software complying with the tree structure in (i), so we can dynamically model the outcomes possible? Else
(iii) Information is missing to complete the modelling of outcomes. What information is missing?

Legal information is modelled by flowcharts — for example patent steps and requirements are modelled in the Act (see http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/pa1990109/s4.html ).

Sadly, a flowchart is not sufficient to aid understanding due to their lack of dynamically modelling individual requirements – a flowchart does not allow users to model outcomes: for example, to give the best outcome for the least amount of money/time ... we need a tool where users can help find and model solutions themselves.

I have put into place an expert questionnaire to see if an individual can patent their invention, so we have the steps in place to ascertain what an inventor has and what they need (see http://1place.com.au/expert/expert_wizard.php?area_id=12); however, we do not have in place a tool to model potential outcomes.

What we need is a means to apply flowchart logic into a software tool so users can:
a) model particular inputs for an optimized output; or
b) information available to model the outcomes possible.

1. Is UML the means and the tool that I am after?
2. Is there a solution elsewhere? or
3. Has this has all been done before & I've missed the movement?"
Privacy

Submission + - Israel's Supreme Court: Yes for Internet Anonymity (2jk.org)

Submitted by jonklinger
jonklinger writes: The Israeli Supreme Court ruled this week that there is no civil procedure to reveal the identity of users behind an IP address, and that until such procedure shall be legislated, all internet postings, even torturous, may remain anonymous. The 69-page decision acknowledges the right for privacy and makes internet anonymity, de-facto, a constitutional right in Israel. Justice Rivlin noted that revealing a person behind an IP address is "an attempt to harness, prior to a legal proceeding, the justice system and a third party in order to conduct an inquiry which will lead to the revealing of a person committing a tort so that a civil suit could be filed against him".

Submission + - Using technology to help layoffs startup

Submitted by
PdbAqB
PdbAqB writes: "Current circumstances that give rise to opportunity for better collaborative effort to help both tech startups and out of work lawyers:

1) Layoffs are common place (http://techcrunch.com/layoffs/ gives current layoffs at 350,299 since August 2008). This includes lawyers and patent attorneys who need work — http://bit.ly/cEcGVD;
2) Startups are one way of getting through this downturn; startups can use help with patents, legal advice and direction but are strapped for cash;
3) Lawyers who are starting out on their own, laid off from the big firms or "between jobs" represent an emerging sector of the legal /attorney profession;
4) Startup law firms or out of work lawyers are a cost-effective option for start-ups with a lower cost base than the big firms but with the relevant big-firm expertise;
5) There is government funding to assist start-ups with IP protection (in Australia it includes Comet Grants and EMDG grants http://bit.ly/daDpqi), reducing the hurdles for startups to seek IP protection.

How can lawyers and tech startups collaborate to help? We have web based tools which can connect:
1. Startup X with Attorney Y as a node;
2. Keep communications privileged and/or confidential; and
3. Provide an unlimited number of nodes (i.e. set up an unlimited number of startups with different attorneys).

I went solo 4 years ago & have not looked back (http://www.1p.com.au). We can, along with others, offer what we learnt in going solo, then growing, to provide greater options to those who are laid off. We are small, but we can help!

We can use technology to help establish relationships between tech startups and attorney/law firm startups with the right expertise.
First, we need attorneys who are interested to contact us so we have resources to refer to tech startups.
As a profession, we believe that it is worth working together to help. Collectively, let’s help!

In Australia today is Harmony Day which is a great day to put forward this initiative http://www.harmony.gov.au/"

Comment Try Knowledgetree (Score 5, Informative) 130

by PdbAqB (#31548842) Attached to: Business-Suitable Document Authentication System?
Try Knowledgetree - It's open source, has workflow and it is fully audited: http://www.knowledgetree.com/solutions/industry-solutions We use it in our law firm (I manage it - we are relatively small http://1p.com.au/ and it runs without any specific expertise. I have previously tried other solutions without success. We also really appreciate knowledgetree's ability to interact seamlessly with MSOffice etc. Good luck

Submission + - Startup consideration – when is a patent use (wordpress.com)

Submitted by
PdbAqB
PdbAqB writes: "Use a patent application to punch holes in your startup offering so that you can identify hurdles. It is also a means to model your offering and its positioning in the market without first risking your house/saving ...It is a comparatively low cost approach which helps you to identify the detail and iron out some of the hurdles to getting your offering to market.

1. Does your startup offering (whether a product or a service) solve a problem or address a need?

Dont let it be something you have to rationalise with proposed market trends when you explain it as" you may have a solution but don(TM)t justify its veracity with puff!

2. Can you describe your offering?

Drilling into the detail required for a patent application is useful for developing the detail of your offering for the market.

3. How will your offering come together?

How will it come together? What are the components or bits that need to work together to deliver the benefit that you have described? In patent terms, this is referred to as the embodiments of an invention.

What is your target market?

Can you describe your offering so you can change direction with agility? Markets change, in some fields very quickly. Thinking through the embodiments and arrangements of your invention early on also enables you to manage quick changes in direction as the need arises.

4. Can the market understand your offering?

From a usability stand point, your patent needs to describe your offering sufficiently so that the target audience can get your offering quickly and easily from your description.

5. How different and inventive is your offering from the competition?

Have you covered off your offering in the simplest possible way so your competition cannot further simplify it and make it sticky to the market?

What i(TM)s the competitive landscape?

6. Why have others failed?

Identifying the oeprior art that exists in the same technical field as your invention is a part of the process when trying to apply for a patent. Understanding the relevant oeprior art (what else is out there that offers a similar advantage/feature, what advantages and disadvantages does the prior art have) helps your startup to identify the competitive advantage of its offering to the marketplace.

Whose toes are you treading on?

This also raises the important question of: do you have the freedom to operate in the market? This goes to infringement risk and is unfortunately often forgotten in the excitement of getting a new offering to market.

7. What are the obstacles that the competition has in place?

Are you treading on somebody else’s offering to the market (i.e. their kernel) & do you need to acknowledge this? Test this on paper with a patent as a means to flush out your SWOT before you launch your offering on the market.

The value proposition

From here you can build your "value proposition" – why people would want your startup’s offering.

8. Do you have a "value proposition"?

  A common misconception among individuals who come to us with “the next big thing – I just need to patent it and sell it for millions” is a lack of detail. Having gone through the process of preparing a patent application (whether or not you take the step of applying for a patent), helps you to identify your offering’s value proposition.

Value = exit

If your offering has teeth, can you exit with cash in your pocket? A patent enables succession – you can get the cash and make the dash...to your next startup.

9. What is your exit plan?

A patent lives for 20 years and so it encourages you to see an end. Companies often forget the necessity to continuously innovate...and to reap the benefits from exiting one innovation and moving to the next.

Modelling your offering to the market via a patent is a means to create revenue and to test your offering before burning your, or your family + friends, cash.
Remember, you are the one taking the risk. Putting a patent into place can stop others from stepping on you. It is also a means to model the offering and its positioning in the market without first risking the house.

Test your startup proposition by stepping through the detail needed to put a patent into place. Consider investing in your key startup asset by putting patent protection into place before you launch.

Michael Bates / Josephine Inge
http://www.1place.com.au/"

Submission + - Grief with Google Apps Website Migration

Submitted by
PdbAqB
PdbAqB writes: "DO NO EVIL? Google Apps website migration has resulted with my site losing all backlinks, Adwords and ultimately my site's Google Ranking due to Google's redirection not being a permanent redirection (301 redirection).

Why do I need to migrate my site from Google Apps: Google Page Creator is being shut down & therefore Google Sites are being moved to a new location which "does not support JavaScript, some forms of HTML, or web hosting ... Users who don't want to be moved to Google Sites have the option to download their content, host it on another service, and redirect their existing URL"

My problem is that Google Apps email is a fantastic service that I do not want to lose; however, their web services are poor and users are punished if they move their site to be hosted elsewhere.

What solutions are available (Google has not helped with this problem on the multiple attempts requesting help)?"
Patents

Should I Publish Or Patent? 266

Posted by CmdrTaco from the get-a-lawyer dept.
BorgeStrand writes 'Patenting is an expensive process, even coming up with some sort of proof that your idea is unique (and thereby try to attract financing) may be prohibitive for the lone inventor. So what do you folks out there do when you come up with a good idea but don't have the means to patent it or market it to someone who will pay for the patenting process? And how much sense does it really make for the lone inventor to patent something? Would it make more sense to publish the whole idea, and make it (and my inventive brainpower) up for grabs? If my ideas are indeed valuable, what is the best way to gain anything from them without investing too much financially? What is your experience?'

Comment Re:Amazon S3 + duplicity + gpg + cron (Score 1) 287

by PdbAqB (#27624561) Attached to: Online Storage For Lawyers?
Hi Alives Deja Dup (http://mterry.name/deja-dup/) is a great program for full followed by incremental backups - however, this is suitable on Ununtu only at the moment since it needs Intltool > 0.37. I use Linux but not Ubuntu on my servers (which has Intltool = 0.35) and so need a another solution & I am looking forward to your scripts if possible. Thanks 1Place email: 1place at ipo dot com dot au

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