Rebirth of America, this is my era

Chapter 262 Suspected of plagiarism (×) Patent barriers (√)

Previously, when Ethan and his sister Evelyn went to Universal Laboratories in Los Angeles to learn about Professor Robert Hall's research results in optical storage, the other party introduced to them in detail the difference between his research direction and Philips' products.

At that time, Robert Hall stated that the technology publicly released by Philips and American Music recorded that both companies used analog signal storage methods on their CD products, and the CD track was a continuous variable. Their research was to store information on the CD in the form of digital signals, so their CD track was a discrete variable.

At first, Ethan did not understand the meaning of the other party's words, but after Evelyn described the data storage and reading of the CD in binary when communicating with Professor Robert Hall, the concept of data CD suddenly appeared in Ethan's mind and he had a certain understanding of digital coding.

So, when Evelyn took a photo of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' explanatory article and showed it to Ethan, he immediately picked up the newspaper when he found out that the CD Philips showed yesterday was actually a digital CD. When he saw it, the article clearly stated that Philips had broken through the limitations of analog laser CDs and combined optical readout and storage with digital encoding technology. Even though Ethan was a layman in the field of technology, he knew that Robert Hall's research and development direction might collide with Philips.

"Can you believe this news?"

Ethan raised his head and stared at his sister.

"What do you think?"

Evelyn asked back with her eyes wide open.

The affirmative tone made Ethan quickly pick up the landline on the table, but the next second he dropped the receiver, rushed out of the office in two steps, leaned on the railing of the corridor and shouted to the people below:
"Steve! Steve! Steve!"

"Eh eh eh——"

Hearing the shouting, Ballmer rushed out of the office and stuck his head towards the direction of the sound.

"What's up, boss?"

He leaned back and stared upward.

"Has the announcement been issued?"

Ethan asked condescendingly.

"Not yet. I'm looking for Warner's financial report for the first three months of last year."

"That's good, let's put this matter aside for now."

"Gah?"

Ballmer didn't understand.

"Go do something else first."

Ethan didn't know how to explain it, so he waved his hand and withdrew his body.

Ballmer was a little confused, but since his boss had given the order, he just did it.

After asking Ballmer to stop posting, Ethan returned to the office and asked his sister: "Did you call Robert? Have you confirmed this with him?"

“I called, but it didn’t go through.”

This fact made Ethan pick up the receiver and dial immediately.

After a series of transfers, he heard a busy tone. This situation only meant one possibility, that is, all the phones related to the other party were busy at the moment.

"MFxxk!"

“I’m going to Los Angeles!”

Ethan decided to go and see the scene.

Evelin didn’t hesitate and followed him.

After the two of them arrived in Los Angeles, they entered the General Laboratory and came to Robert Hall's exclusive floor, where they saw a group of busy figures. At this moment, Robert Hall was leading his students and subordinates to make frantic phone calls.

The sudden appearance of Ethan and Evelyn did not surprise them. Robert Hall, who was on the phone, also raised his hand towards the two of them. After quickly talking to the guy on the other end of the phone, he put down the receiver and walked out of the workshop directly, rushing into his office with the two of them.

"I know why you're here, so let's get straight to the point."

Robert Hall quickly raised a piece of paper with a bunch of pinhole words on it.

Before Ethan could read the contents clearly, Robert Hall spoke up, "I have confirmed with the association that the disc Philips released yesterday is indeed a digital disc. That is, it stores digital signals on the disc, directly abandoning the previous analog signal technology."

“So, your judgment is correct.”

"Their behavior overlaps with our research direction."

"As for why Philips gave up analog laser discs?"

"The reason is very simple. According to my friends, this is because Philips has discovered that the upper limit of analog laser discs is only 1MB, while digital disc technology can maximize the capacity to 800MB."

“So, starting in 1975, they started conducting targeted research on digital optical discs.”

When Robert Hall laid these facts before Ethan...

Ethan, who thought he had the upper hand, was stunned.

He stared at the old professor in a daze and asked, "Then - will this have an impact on our research?"

Ethan was already being subtle.

Because what he was thinking about was actually suspected plagiarism.

Their project started in 1976, while Philips started in 1975.

This time difference will put them at a disadvantage.

"Uh--" Robert Hall certainly understood what Ethan meant.

But he didn't know how to explain this.

After thinking for a moment, he turned his gaze to Evelyn, who was more communicative, and said, "You should know better than Ethan why a project crashed during development, right?"

"I have the supporting papers for the entire project here. Please read it and then explain it to Ethan."

"I need to make a few more calls to find out how far Philips has progressed in its research and development."

"Excuse me. Sorry."

After handing the cited paper of this project to Evelyn, the old man hurried out of the office again, which made Ethan a little overwhelmed.

Evelyn pulled him to sit on the sofa and opened the folder handed to her by Robert Hall.

The above summarizes the history of the development of digital optical discs and the technical origins of the project.

The technical support for digital optical discs can be traced back to the 1940s. In 1841, French mathematician Augustin Cauchy proposed the sampling theorem, which opened the way for converting audio into digital format. In the following year, British mathematician Charles Babbage developed analytical formulas for storing and performing calculations.

Then in 1922, American scientist John Casson proposed the concept of time sampling in communications, and six years later, Swedish physicist Harry Nyquist verified it all.

As for why John Carson and Harry Nyquist would collaborate across borders?

That's because they were all working at Bell Labs at the time, and this was a Bell Labs project.

After the sampling technology was confirmed to be usable, in 1937, British scientist Alec Reeves invented the pulse code modulation technology. In 1948, Claude Shannon, the father of information theory, integrated all previous communication technologies together and proposed "A Mathematical Theory of Communication".

This theory laid a solid foundation for the digitization of audio.

In the 1960s, after the official development of laser technology, in 1965, American inventor James Russell proposed that laser technology could be combined with digital technology.

At this point, the concept of digital optical disc was officially established.

However, before Intel invented the micro-CPU, analog laser discs that simulated TV signals were easier to integrate with TV sets, so digital discs were not noticed by many scientists. When microprocessors were used for civilian purposes instead of commercial purposes, and even sold at a very low price by people like Chuck Pete and Bill Mensch...

The digital storage accumulated over a hundred years and the newly emerging optical disc technology have become the direction of people's research.

Therefore, in the digital CD project, there is no question of who copied whom.

When the latest related technology has been around for almost twenty years, and when the latest related basic theory has been around for fifty years, no matter who makes the digital disc, it will not be an infringement!

There is no way to argue about orthodoxy in this matter! And if you must argue about it, then no one in the world is more orthodox than them! Because Claude Shannon, who wrote the summary theory, is Fred Terman's junior! He just retired from MIT last year! Let the old president come out to show his face and ask the other party to put the name of consultant, then all the other guys are heretics!
Of course, this kind of thing is meaningless, because it cannot form a patent and cannot strangle other companies. However, when the research and development direction of digital optical discs is so chaotic, it is normal for several laboratories to study the same technology at the same time.

And this kind of car crash——

This is also the origin of the Standard War.

Since no one is orthodox, the right to speak in this industry can only be fought for with fists.

at the same time--

"This collision has nothing to do with plagiarism."

After reading Robert Hall's project references, Evelyn said with certainty: "Robert Hall did not infringe anyone's patents, so there is no plagiarism here."

"Huh—" Ethan breathed a sigh of relief at the affirmative words.

Since the projects he invested in did not involve plagiarism, this technology can be monetized.

And since it can be converted into cash, Ethan has nothing to worry about.

"What the hell! When I get back, I'm going to make sure Steve Ballmer keeps posting!"

"Damn Philips! You scared me!"

Just when Ethan was feeling indignant and wanted to make a note of Philip, before he got up to say goodbye to Robert Hall, he suddenly remembered another question.

"Wait a minute, Evelyn, I have something else to ask."

"You say." The girl who was flipping through the paper responded without even looking up.

"Even if our collision does not involve infringement and plagiarism, when registering a patent, will Philips's first launch prevent us from obtaining a patent for our technology products?"

The tricky question made Evelin frown.

"Are you talking about multiple discoveries or simultaneous inventions?" The girl tilted her head and looked at Ethan.

“Like calculus?” she asked.

There may not be two identical snowflakes in the world, but it is very common for the same invention to appear at the same time. With billions of people on earth, it is impossible for there to be only one smart person.

The most typical example is calculus, which was independently proposed by Newton and Leibniz at the same time.

There was also the telegraph, which was invented in the same year by Wheatstone and Morse.

Not to mention the phone call, the controversy caused by Bell and Gray could circle the equator a hundred times.

When coincidences of simultaneous inventions occur too frequently, the related patent disputes can really cause a bunch of people to fight each other to a bloody pulp. After all, in a society ruled by law, this means money.

After Ethan nodded to indicate that this was what he meant, Evelyn immediately made a judgment, "I'm not studying law, call Barbara!" Without hesitation, Ethan picked up the phone on Robert Hall's desk and dialed the number he had memorized long ago. When the great wizard far away in Washington learned that something strange had happened to Ethan again, the guy who had just returned to work not long ago immediately laughed.

"Oh Ethan - why do you always encounter strange things?"

Barbara couldn't figure it out.

But she knew what to do now. "Technology patents are handled very roughly in our country. If the content of two technologies is roughly the same, whoever applies first will get the patent. In other words, if Philips has submitted an application to our country's Patent and Copyright Office, then according to the rules, they can apply for the digital optical disc product patent before you."

"..." This fact made Ethan feel instantly chilled.

However, before he could start cursing, Barbara said, "But I personally think Philips should not have applied, because Robert Hall should not have made such a mistake."

"He is a veteran in the industry and has dozens of patents, so he should have submitted his ideas to our country's Patent and Trademark Office in the form of a provisional application at the beginning of the project, and then used his own channels to compare patents."

"If there was a conflict, he would not have continued the research. But since he dared to continue the research and development, and used external funds for the research and development, it proves one thing..."

Here Barbara paused.

Ethan immediately followed up, "Philips didn't apply for a patent?"

"Yeah~" Barbara said on the other end of the phone, "He will only continue if his research is unique in our country, or if he can apply for a patent."

"Especially with the principal coming forward."

"If he doesn't even have this awareness, then his reputation in the scientific research community will be ruined."

Of course, as a lawyer, Barbara was also very rigorous at this moment. "But if Robert Hall really forgot to apply, then there might be problems."

"So, you'd better ask the person involved."

"Okay, thank you!" Ethan hung up the phone in a hurry, rushed out of Robert Hall's office, came to the other's workshop, and gestured to him through the glass.

The old man who was talking on the phone frowned. He didn't understand Ethan's sign language. After he hung up the phone and walked out, Ethan also expressed his anxiety, and then -

The old professor scratched his head, "Uh... Ethan, I didn't apply for a patent."

"WTF???" Ethan was shocked.

With eyes wide open, he asked in surprise: "Why???"

He didn't understand.

Although in the patent application process in America, patents for hired research and development are applied for by the patent-owning company itself, that is to say, according to the general process, only when Robert Hall first comes up with the product that Ethan wants, can Ethan let Destiny Game apply for a patent for the product. Robert Hall's name only appears on the patent form as an inventor, but that is limited to ordinary scientific researchers.

For the big guys who have their own laboratories, they apply for it themselves. They submit documents to the Patent and Copyright Office and then put the name of the patent owner on it, just like the video game patent, which was applied for by Ralph Baer himself, but he filled in a company when filling out the form.

This is actually done to ensure the autonomy of R&D personnel. The hiring company will not interfere with their research. It is a manifestation of decentralization. In this case...

Robert Hall didn't apply for a patent?
So what about Ethan Jones’ previous investment?
Should we give him some extra credit for his pitiful IQ?

Just when Ethan found it difficult to understand Robert Hall's behavior, the old man who understood what he meant quickly said, "Oh Ethan, control your emotions. I think we have a difference of opinion!"

"You should be worried that your investment might fail!"

"What makes me anxious is that I want to know how far Philips has progressed in his research! To put it more simply, I want to know whether his research progress is faster or mine!"

“As for whether my research can be commercialized?”

"That's not even a question, okay?"

"Because in our country, it is impossible for Philips to apply for a patent before me!"

"Because they don't have patent support for previous technologies!"

“Those patents are in my and my friends’ hands!”

"You know?"

Although digital CD is an open project and anyone can research it, how to turn digital CD into a player product still involves patent issues.

For example, in the CD player that Robert Hall showed Ethan and Evelyn before, the light beam used to read the surface of the CD, that is, the coherent laser light, was manufactured using the semiconductor laser diode technology invented by Robert Hall!

The patent for the playback of optical digital recording equipment is in the hands of a scientist named James Russell, who is a former colleague of Robert Hall and was also a scientist at General Electric.

After leaving GM, he went to the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Base, which was the laboratory of the world's first plutonium-operated nuclear reactor production plant during the wartime Manhattan Project.

Eleven out of ten people there knew Fred Terman.

If Robert Hall can't apply for a patent, then the American Patent and Copyright Office will not need to exist, and scientists on the North American continent can send those idiots into their mothers' wombs!

So, from the very beginning, Robert Hall never worried about the patent issue!
What he wanted to know now was how far Philips had progressed in its research and whether Philips had used their patent. If not, it would be incredible. But if it had—

Sorry about that.

Although Robert Hall disliked Fred Terman and was annoyed by Fred Terman's shameless behavior of poaching people from a university, but...

We will still give the face that should be given.

"In other words, if Philips uses your patent, they will not be able to apply for a patent for their products in North America without your authorization?"

Ethan was shocked instantly!
"Yes."

Robert Hall nodded seriously and said, "We can throw those idiots from the Patent Office into the Pacific Ocean without Fred's intervention."

"Oh - this is really -"

"awesome!"

After struggling for the whole morning, Ethan finally laughed.

He never expected that Philips and his group of guys were actually running naked!
You want to make CDs without even a pre-patent?
I'll be your horse!
For a moment, a funny expression appeared on Ethan's face.

Yes, that's right, it's funny enough to make you laugh.

The old man's eyelids twitched at the obscene look and he sighed, but after a few seconds he also laughed.

"Ethan."

"Ok?"

"I know why Fred likes you?"

"Why?"

"Because you are just like him, you will do anything to achieve your goal."

Robert Hall shrugged and said, "When Fred went to school, Stanford was an ordinary school. With his talent, he could get a tenured position at any school."

"Of course, that's the truth. After he graduated, MIT and Cornell both offered him a job, but because of his parents, he decided to go back to Stanford."

"In fact, everyone who has come into contact with him feels that his behavior is a waste of his talent. But when he fulfilled his father's wish and made Stanford better, his crazy behavior of poaching people really made all of us admire him deeply..."

"You should know that competition in our circle is very fierce. Everyone will want to compare with others when they meet their peers. Only when someone has made a real breakthrough in academics can we admire him. But he is different. Even if he has achievements, he is willing to give up his face and invite others to teach and conduct research at Stanford. This is not something that ordinary people can do."

"You know William Shockley, right? He's the founder of Fairchild."

"He was living happily at Caltech, but Fred forced him to go to Stanford. Do you know how Fred moved him? William's old mother lived in Palo Alto, and Fred often went to talk to his mother. After a long time, his mother missed her children."

"Then Fred told William that as long as he came to Stanford, he could give everything Caltech could give, and he could also give on behalf of Stanford what Caltech couldn't give, and then William came."

"Fred is probably the most shameless person in our circle, and you..."

"Hum-"

Perhaps he didn't want to continue this topic, so the old man snorted twice and stopped talking.

His words also made Ethan a little dazed.

Because this was the first time he heard the details of the old principal's recruitment process.

Not everyone can do that kind of behavior of abandoning everything.

Since neither of them wanted to talk more about this, Robert Hall changed the subject. "Although I own an important patent for manufacturing CD players, this patent can only ensure that what I develop can pass the review smoothly, and it cannot help you achieve success."

"Because I obtained my patent in 1962, the patent protection period is only 20 years. Including this year, the optical storage project we are researching can only be protected for a maximum of three years. So, if Philips really uses my patent, I can only buy you this much time."

"Three years?"

When this word rang in Ethan's ears, he suddenly remembered why Philips said at the press conference that it would commercialize optical discs in the next three to five years!
Under the protection of patent barriers, once they release the product in advance, they must obtain authorization!
otherwise……

They cannot enter the North American market because of their infringement!
If Robert Hall had not taken over Ethan Jones's business, Philips might have come to buy it, but now, looking at the old man's expression, it is clear that even if Philip offered money, he would not sell it!
In this case, wouldn’t these more than a thousand days be an invincible time?

It may not be useful to others, but for Ethan...

Ah--

He can fully staff his troops during the invincible period of more than a thousand days!
When this fact came to light, he no longer had to worry about the sudden rise of Philips and Sony!

Because they don't have patents.

Slightly, slightly——

"Thank you." He smiled and extended his hand to the old professor.

Robert Hall rolled his eyes and shook his hand vigorously.

At the same time, he patted his shoulder and said, "Are you satisfied now? I have explained everything to you clearly, so can you let me finish the call next?"

"I really want to know whether Philips uses my technology."

"Of course—" Ethan laughed and made a please gesture.

“I actually want to know that, too.”

"You go ahead and do your work. I'll wait for you."

Yes, now Ethan really wants to know how much advantage he has!
If Philips really used Robert Hall's patent, then their Destiny Game would not be suspected of plagiarism, but a patent barrier! Hahaha——

Oh no! You can't laugh now!
Because if I laugh now, I’ll look like a villain!
Ahahahahaha——

Note: ① Two people applied for the patent of the telephone on the same day, but because Bell's application form was in front, the fifth on that day, he was granted the patent according to the order of precedence (official statement). ② Robert Hall's invention is still in use today, and it is a technology that cannot be circumvented. ③ In reality, Sony released the optical disc player in 3, and Philips released it in 501. No company is willing to pay more patent fees to others. This is reality. ④ In addition to the patents involving semiconductor laser diodes, the optical disc player also involves two other patents, US 586 and US 3. The inventor of these two patents, James Russell, is indeed Robert Hall's former colleague. In reality, Sony and Philips cannot circumvent these two patents because the years are too long to wait for them to expire, so they can only obtain authorization. This was written on the official website of MIT in 795 (due to iteration, currently only the Internet Archive has a mapping copy). At the same time, it also records that as of 902, James Russell had obtained a total of 1985 CD patents. It seems that Sony and Philips made a lot of money, but they also paid a lot in licensing fees.



(End of this chapter)