I’m a little surprised to find myself in wholehearted agreement with Michael Crichton, after what I wrote about his essay about alarmism. But his recent New York Times op-ed says something clear, simple, and important:

Actually, I can’t make that last statement. A corporation has patented that fact, and demands a royalty for its use. Anyone who makes the fact public and encourages doctors to test for the condition and treat it can be sued for royalty fees. Any doctor who reads a patient’s test results and even thinks of vitamin deficiency infringes the patent. A federal circuit court held that mere thinking violates the patent.

This Essay Breaks the Law by Michael Crichton, The New York Times, OP-ED Section, Sunday, March 19, 2006

Maybe this will convey to more people that Software Patent Reform and patent reform in general is needed. Continue reading →