16 votes

The twenty-year patent on Teledildonics has expired

3 comments

  1. [2]
    patience_limited
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    The original concept of patents wasn't supposed to be a rate-limiter on the diffusion of new technology. As noted here, a bad patent has resulted in badly designed, overpriced, insecure junk for...

    The 1998 patent on "interactive virtual control of sexual aids" has expired, but that doesn't mean we should have a sex toy free-for-all.

    The original concept of patents wasn't supposed to be a rate-limiter on the diffusion of new technology. As noted here, a bad patent has resulted in badly designed, overpriced, insecure junk for your junk, with little market penetration (see what I did there?).

    Hopefully, it's time for a new era in reaching out and touching someone (which was still a telephone marketing slogan when the patent was issued).

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      Comment deleted by author
      Link Parent
      1. patience_limited
        Link Parent
        I've got a growing line of work projects in telemedicine - so this is the missing piece in an end-to-end (!) remote suite for both causing and diagnosing heart attacks.

        I've got a growing line of work projects in telemedicine - so this is the missing piece in an end-to-end (!) remote suite for both causing and diagnosing heart attacks.

        2 votes
  2. Akir
    Link
    I've been aware of teledildonics for a long time and I always wondered why it wasn't more widespread. I would have never dreamed that it was patented. EFF is completely right: it may be the most...

    I've been aware of teledildonics for a long time and I always wondered why it wasn't more widespread. I would have never dreamed that it was patented. EFF is completely right: it may be the most rediculously broad patent ever to be granted.

    4 votes