From: blockedofcourse@foo.invalid   
      
   On 2/5/2026 2:14 AM, Liz Tuddenham wrote:   
   > I seem to remember EMI had a dedicated patents department which made it   
   > easy for anyone in the company to try to patent any idea, however   
   > trivial.  Many other British firms didn't bother unless the idea was a   
   > really outstanding one.   
      
   I think the nature of businesses has changed, over the years.   
      
   I can recall 60's and 70's even small shops had their own   
   waves, machine shops, paint shops, shake-n-bake, blueprint "gal",   
   library, stock room clerks, etc.  In addition to manufacturing   
   and inspection staff, marketing, engineering, accounting, etc.   
      
   One of the early firms I worked for had maybe six engineers   
   yet all of these things.  The library was bigger than the   
   engineering offices!  I suspect only about 100 souls in the   
   entire facility...   
      
   Since the 80's, I've put clauses in my contracts that   
   state:  "I won't knowingly infringe a patent with my design   
   (but will make no effort to verify that to be the case)   
   and I won't assist in the preparation of any patents   
   you may choose to claim about my work"   
      
   [I learned, early on, that its too easy to patent things   
   that may be of dubious value; spend that effort making   
   BETTER things!]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)