I didn't use Sense on my Desire (Launcher Pro Plus) so maybe I should try it.

 

I was using a Sense 3.5 ROM (InsertCoin) but had issues, I installed it without realising Sense 3.5 wasn't actually released on the Sensation yet. Gone to a 3.0 ROM and don't like it anywhere near as much as 3.5 but it's far more stable, so hopefully it does come out on the Sensation soon.

Aye it's kinda fair enough in your work because, well, first of all you are actually creating something new. And more importantly there's a big cost to making these things. You're essentially kinda filling in a catalogue, right? And when someone wants a chemical to possibly do X thing they leaf through the catalogue, pick one and then use it for a fee. That's fine - they're just paying for a service.

Software is different in that it's just languages. It's covered by copyright anyway, it doesn't need patents. It's kinda like Tolkein patenting the idea of stories with wizards in.

To be honest I'm not totally sure how it works in terms of accessing the patent info, procedures etc. Though I'm fairly sure it costs to look at a patent even if you don't want to license the procedure which is a bit shit.

 

You only tend to be able to find out what the patent is for in terms of the end product, not how they got there which is obviously the important bit and more often than not the bit which is actually patented. Though you can patent composition of matter as well as method etc

 

I think there is more of a trend within Universities to go down the patent route with new discoveries/developments rather than open publication, whereas in the past that was more of an industry/business thing to do. No surprise really due to the lack of funding these days so if licensing patents out is a way to make the University money it makes sense. Personally it's hard to gauge which is better.

 

Patenting does, without a doubt, restrict scientific development.

 

There's been a number of patents that have been filed for genuinely useful/revolutionary products, one being carbon nanotubes, where the patent owners were charging far too much to license the patent and were only licensing to certain (and not many) companies so no advances were made in the area until the patent expired after about 10 years and the product became available for anyone to do anything with.

The whole system is a fucking mess really. Copyright and patents. Both originally intended to protect the individual author/inventor. Now it's just got fucking silly.

Coca-Cola has never been patented as they'd have to give up the recipe if they did.

 

Same for Aero (although in that case it's the method for making the bubbles).

 

EDIT: That was meant to be to ALL :(

It's fine, I understand.

Webos update released today. Seems to have same speed/responsiveness as overclocked webOS 4.02.

I caved in and installed the second Alpha release. So far, I've ignored it completely and watched a film on my telly. I suppose I should really install a few things on the tablet since I just risked voiding the warranty on it.