Google Tried to Patent My Work After a Job Interview

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setquk ◴[30 Nov 18 09:04 UTC] No.18567751[source]▶

It’s down to individuals rather than culture in these things. By purely statistics, an organisation of any size has less than ethical people in it even if they have the best outward impression. Unfortunately these sorts of people tend to favour power and slowly work their way to positions that give them that. Then the whole org is a bad apple.

Having been in a similar situation before, the correct answer is “I’ll get my lawyer to contact you with our NDA process” or if you’re really worried “fuck off”.

It’s probably better to file patent first though. The patent is what you need to sell them.

replies(3): >>18567812 #>>18568316 #>>18569958 #

1. StudentStuff ◴[30 Nov 18 09:20 UTC] No.18567812[source]▶

>>18567751 #

Repeated unethical behavior is not the fault of a few bad actors, but of an organization designed to encourage that behavior. I wouldn't discount Google as being at fault seeing as how we already have two instances of Google's ATAP committing patent fraud despite little research and outreach being done.

One fun fact I stumbled across is any misconduct when filing for a patent voids the entire patent application, not just the claims that the misconduct occurred in: https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s2016.html

replies(4): >>18567921 #>>18568369 #>>18568625 #>>18568689 #

2. kurthr ◴[30 Nov 18 09:44 UTC] No.18567921[source]▶

>>18567812 (TP) #

Yes, failure to include an inventor of a single claim invalidates the patent family.

replies(1): >>18571386 #

3. monochromatic ◴[30 Nov 18 11:39 UTC] No.18568369[source]▶

>>18567812 (TP) #

It can also result in attorney discipline.

4. heurist ◴[30 Nov 18 12:36 UTC] No.18568625[source]▶

>>18567812 (TP) #

Designing am organization and keeping it running well are incredibly difficult. What you see as encouraging poor behavior could easily be poor management. I have never worked at Google so I do not know.

5. setquk ◴[30 Nov 18 12:50 UTC] No.18568689[source]▶

>>18567812 (TP) #

Assholes hire assholes. Eventually the assholes all float to the top and make asshole decisions. You can't win. This is a failure mode of every organisation I have ever seen.

replies(2): >>18569534 #>>18570738 #

6. cloverich ◴[30 Nov 18 15:02 UTC] No.18569534[source]▶

>>18568689 #

My take on it is as long as there are instruments to abuse there will be unethical people to do so. Patent law and drug prohibition are equivalent, to me, in this way. They create unnatural economic sectors where unethical behavior is favored.

replies(1): >>18572442 #

7. Paul-ish ◴[30 Nov 18 17:37 UTC] No.18570738[source]▶

>>18568689 #

Is there any evidence of this? I've seen assholes work for nice people as well.

8. infinite8s ◴[30 Nov 18 18:40 UTC] No.18571386[source]▶

>>18567921 #

That's all well and good, but the process of invalidating the patent is long and expensive.

9. nerpderp82 ◴[30 Nov 18 20:41 UTC] No.18572442{3}[source]▶

>>18569534 #

They give a legal framework for unethical people to prosper. They are "hacking" the system. Highly moral societies are especially ripe for this kind of victimization because many of the "laws" are social norms that everyone just follows.

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