"Wouldn't it be ironic if it turned out that tinfoil hats really would prevent people from beaming information directly into our brains?"
You mean, ...they ...don't?? Oh. I ...I ..., never mind.
"A Sony Electronics spokeswoman told the magazine that no experiments had been conducted, and that the patent "was based on an inspiration that this may someday be the direction that technology will take us."
They can patent a device they have never even tried out? How do the patent examiners evaluate such a thing? Crap, I'm going to send them my plans for a warp drive so I can get the jump on Sony. And my levitating ray gun. And my mind reading scope. And my crystal ball. Just in case they "may someday be the direction that technology will take us." Wow!
Exactly. It really pisses me off to see patents granted without a workable prototype or reasonable experiments backing it up. This is actually much better than some I've heard about and is at least mofderately specific about the methods to be used, but sheesh. How iwll it encourage research/creativity if other researchers abandon steps in this direction since he'll have the patent if they do the work?
You know, back in 1904 someone should have patented the idea of heavier than air, engine-powered flight. Then they could have sat back and let the Wirghts do the work only to miss out on the royalties....
This must be that whole "patent approval for large corporations with lotsa money for political contributions" loophole..
Only applies to the likes of Microsoft, the Motion Picture and Music Industries, Automotive Industry, and other large Contributors... err.. Corporations..
Beat me to it. This is absolutely ridiculous and a perfect example of how a bad patent system stifles innovation rather than encouraging it. There are dozens of examples of "prior art" for this sort of thing in science fiction; sure, the authors never actually created the technology, but neither did Sony.