Archive for category Net-Tailor
IComo: Patents and Intellectual Property Rights
Posted by Albegor in Como, Net-Tailor, Software on May 14, 2006
Patents and intellectual property rights were the subject matter of the seminar organized by the research center Centro Volta related to the IComo: la fabbrica delle idee initiative, a project aimed to promote technology innovation among the local small and medium enterprises.
The meeting took place in Villa Olmo, the place chosen for the current exhibition devoted to Magritte, and consisted of a series of presentations by company managers and professional consultants involved in the delicate matter of tutelating intellectual property rights and exploiting the benefits and the added value of patents.
The current tendency is to consider a patent not only as a good tool of legal protection for a company’s idea or processing method, but also as an internal asset to make business with, a way of thinking americans already well know and effectively use. Testimonials of this were the managers of big companies such as ABB and Fiat with its CRF (Fiat Research Center).
From the conference clearly emerged that evaluating the convenience and opportunity of registering a patent is a delicate matter and requires the support of experts needed to perform a series of studies and researches in order to be able to produce a strong patent, which may be used as an effective protection tool especially for the local small enterprises constantly facing the counterfeiting phenomenon of a global market.
The innovation technology project I’m currently involved in, under the direct coordination of the Centro Volta, is evaluating these issues and after this seminar I’m even more convinced in the way of registering a patent to tutelate the work we’re doing and then make business with, if possible.
Registering a patent instead of maintaining an industrial secret inside a company has both advantages and disadvantages. With a patent your idea becomes public, but you tutelate yourself for the number of years you’re going to do business with. On the opposite think about the Coca-Cola formula for example. They say they didn’t patent it, so it still remains an industrial secret.
Software is an even more delicate matter if inserted in the patent issue, but that was not discussed in the meeting. The EU Commission is still debating about software patents and since they’re considered a big obstacle to innovation, especially by small developers, I suggest you to read about the NoSoftwarePatents campaign.
The conference ended with a funny and smart presentation by a lawyer who gave the audience some significant examples of the way of working in our country compared to the US. They seem to be different planets in this particular matter, not only by the numbers involved. 😉
Working in Silence Against The Information Overloading
Posted by Albegor in Euro Coins Pocket Collector, Mobile, Net-Tailor, Software on March 30, 2006
A few months passed since the last blog post, time I actually spent working in silence, trying to reach the mental state in which I’d been able to defeat the so-called information overloading, that can easily affect workers in the ICT sector (and not only us).
As I say to friends when ask me why I don’t keep the blog updated, it’s not easy at all thinking of something interesting to write. 😉
Now I’m still busy working on the innovation project committed by a local company and coordinated by the Centro Volta. It’s going well and I’d like to write more about it, but I’ll do it only if I’ll get the necessary permissions.
Since the beginning of the year I’ve also started working on the software project for which I committed a due diligence study to the Centro Volta last year. I had the luck to find the right people with the right competences for this project and we’re doing well I’d say, a confirmation of the fact that the people always make the difference.
More details about this project as soon as we’ll start testing the prototype with the public. 🙂
The last year ended, and the new one began, with a present from Smartphone & Pocket PC Magazine. Their Board of Experts voted Euro Coins Pocket Collector QVGA to be among the best in the category Miscellaneous Utilities in the magazine’s fifth annual Best Software Awards.
As a finalist I joined their 2006 Best of Everything Marketing Program which will grant my software some more visibility. Another award that makes me proud of the work I did and talking about this I can anticipate that in a couple of weeks I’ll start building a new site entirely focused on Ecpc.
Later then and don’t get caught by the frenziness of modern life! 😉