Why Geim Never Patented Graphene 325
gbrumfiel writes "As we discussed on Tuesday, Andre Geim won this year's Nobel prize in physics for graphene, but he never patented it. In an interview with Nature News, he explains why: 'We considered patenting; we prepared a patent and it was nearly filed. Then I had an interaction with a big, multinational electronics company. I approached a guy at a conference and said, "We've got this patent coming up, would you be interested in sponsoring it over the years?" It's quite expensive to keep a patent alive for 20 years. The guy told me, "We are looking at graphene, and it might have a future in the long term. If after ten years we find it's really as good as it promises, we will put a hundred patent lawyers on it to write a hundred patents a day, and you will spend the rest of your life, and the gross domestic product of your little island, suing us." That's a direct quote.'"
But if he doesn't patent it... (Score:3, Funny)
Can't they just patent it anyway, and sue him instead?
One word: libel (Score:4, Funny)
Do that, and he'll spend the rest of his life and gross income fighting interminable libel suits.
What island are they referring to? (Score:4, Funny)
I don't get it, he is Russian born and works in Manchester, England. Are they saying $2.2 trillion (nominal GDP of England in 2006) isn't enough to win a patent war? My god, if that's the case, then what is?
I'm confused. (Score:4, Funny)
It also has the largest surface-to-weight ratio: with one gram of graphene you can cover several football pitches (in Manchester, you know, we measure surface area in football pitches).
Can someone put this in terms of American Football fields please? Or perhaps school buses will work...thanks.
Re:What island are they referring to? (Score:3, Funny)
Maybe the GP has discovered an underground channel linking the east and west coasts far beneath Hadrian's Wall, with a tributary running down to the Severn.
Re:One word: libel (Score:5, Funny)
It isn't libel if what he said is true. If the other guy did indeed say that.
Didn't you read the article? They have 100 lawyers sitting around waiting for something to do.
Re:But if he doesn't patent it... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Patents help the little guy (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Patents help the little guy (Score:2, Funny)
What are you talking about? He missed it completely.
Re:But if he doesn't patent it... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:What island are they referring to? (Score:5, Funny)
you can for sure win a patent war.
You just use weapons the other size will not expect.
If the entire other side ended up in a horrible accident, you suddenly win.
Just saying.... I have a hundred "associates" just sitting around waiting to do something.... Am I making my self clear? capisce?
I would hate for an unfortunate circumstance to happen, causing something to happen... Right Vito?
Re:But if he doesn't patent it... (Score:3, Funny)
Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!
Re:But if he doesn't patent it... (Score:5, Funny)
Hey, I work in commercial biotech research! Are you calling me aggressive?
You wanna come over and say that, buddy?
Re:But if he doesn't patent it... (Score:5, Funny)
mod parent +1, aggressive
Re:But if he doesn't patent it... (Score:4, Funny)
Mod Parent "+1, Like, You're a Cool Guy Man, And... And And I Like What You Said Dude, It Reached Me. Really Reached Me."