All human improvement has been the result of the exchange of ideas and or robust debate!

And in a nutshell, we have patents that are supposed to protect original ideas!

And would in many more cases, if we hadn't made the process so dammed expensive and time consuming.

What do you suppose perpetual motion would be worth, and should the mind that created it be worthy of the fruits of his or her labor?

Moreover, it is possible to steal ideas even those supposedly protected by patent; except where they remain hidden in say; an aging head, and a time limited memory. Ah now, what was I saying?

Ah yes, people everywhere, but particularly the poor and downtrodden will vote with their feet when making their purchases.

Anyway, perhaps the only way to protect patents from this type of THEFT, would be complete trade embargoes, until the protected patents are also protected in said offending copycat countries!

That said, I find no grounds that would allow a time limited patent to be further extended on some implausible different use, profit gouging grounds; but particularly where some or all the initial research, was the product of public purse funding and exchanged academic ideas/results!
Rhrosty.

I understand the connection you make between sharing data and its ability to help innovate.
But I for one don't like the intrusiveness of governments looking at my web browsing habits; having access to facebook data etc.
Its not that I have anything to hide but I don't believe they have the right to intrude into peoples lives as much as they do.
Corporations also go too far.
Smart TV's for example not only supply the data of your viewing habits back to companies that produce them, but also watch and listen to you in your own home.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-10/samsung-warns-customers-new-smart-tvs-listen-in-on-users/6082144
Car manufacturers not only have GPS systems to track your whereabouts but they are also planning more self driving capabilities that will take over in the event of an accident.
http://www.vox.com/2015/1/18/7629603/car-hacking-dangers
And whilst they want this power over us the question is can these large corporations be trusted?
Take vaccines for example. Were all told that they are safe and effective by governments, manufacturers and the departments that are supposed to provide oversight and safeguards, but they routinely hide the truth from us.
http://www.naturalnews.com/048806_vaccine_petition_White_House_fraud.html#
http://www.greenmedinfo.com/sites/default/files/gpub_58635_anti_therapeutic_action_vaccination_all.pdf

Why should we allow such intrusiveness when they don't provide transparency and cannot be trusted?

But what of closed circuit TV (CCTV) networks that have profiles our faces (or some part of our anatomy) AND follow us everywhere?

http://www.homelandsecuritypk.com/services/cctv/

Can Skype be activated remotely any time?

Patents are a waste of space for most.

We had a patent on a new type of heat exchanger. All that did was give us more chance, but not total assurance, that we could defend our patent in court. Even when you won, the thief was usually a small independent division of a large company, which promptly went bankrupt, allowing no restitution for court costs, or loss of sales.

When Marbon Chemical Company, a division of Borg Warner, now General Electric, developed a new way of polymerising ABS plastic, rather than patent it, they simply kept it secret. The chemists knew that once the technique was detailed in a patent, others could find a slightly modified way of applying the research, which avoided the patent.

It would appear that Nicholas has never spent a great deal of money, finding a new way of doing something himself, or bought the rights to someone else's research. If he had ever had privately developed data, he might be more interested in allowing the researcher to earn a return on their effort, rather than give it to him.

If he is really interested in the public interest, it would be nice if he directed his efforts to getting tax payer funded data released to all, rather than wanting to claim the results of private effort.

Perhaps he could get all the codes for climate models, so others could analyse why they are failing.

Plantagenet,
Put CCTV in EVERY home: Householders should help us trap burglars, says Scotland Yard chief
http://rt.com/uk/239001-cctv-homes-uk-howes/
http://youtu.be/4voKmf3pzBY

Hi Armchair Critic

Great idea. But look at the human toll. The Scotland Yard chief looks terrible - those red eyes. He may have been looking at too many secret CCTVs for too many burger burglers.

Pete