Some other math/crypto sci-fi

[Foobulus Baracculus]

...

Alan Olsen:

wouldn't that be perfect? a "collectable patent card game", as a way to
criticise patents (by using the most ridiculous ones on the cards),
which in itself violates a patent... hm, I like the idea...

"combine the 'patent for display of blablah' with the 'method or device
for remote information acquisition' and you can cross-license that
against your enemie's 'global computer network patent' for 10 points."

...

This would be a fabulous way of introducing young children into the new 
emerging world.

One of the strategies of the game would be to build a patent portfolio. For 
example, you have developed an idea, and now you need to take out something 
like 250,000 patents on anything and everything possible and even likely to 
be tenously linked to protecting your idea, anything near your idea, and how 
to produce your idea, or sell your idea, or do anything likely to be 
possible with your idea. Your opponent pays the role of a patent lawyer, 
trying to navigate through every little crack in your patent portfolio 
armour. It would be a wonderful way of illustrating how one simple creative 
idea requires ten times as much creative ideas just to protect that original 
idea. An excellent introduction to the simplicity of the contemporary world.

Foobulus Barraculus

_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.