Some believe a patent gives an inventor the right to manufacture their invention without any competition. The truth is a little bit more sobering. Patents really only give the owner the right to sue. If a patent owner doesn’t sue, anybody can use the technology. Robert J. Marks discusses patent law and artificial intelligence with attorney and author, Richard W. Stevens.

Additional Resources

• Robert J. Marks at Discovery.org
• Richard W. Stevens at Discovery.org
• The Reasonable Robot: Artificial Intelligence and the Law by Ryan Abbott 
• “Can a Robot Hold a Patent?” at Mind Matters News
• “Should AI Be Granted Patents On The Designs It Helps Develop?” at Mind Matters News
• “Should AI Hold Patents? The Flash-Of-Genius Answer” at Mind Matters News
• “Why We Need To Stop Relying On Patents To Measure Innovation” at Mind Matters News
• “How Patent Law Has Changed For The Worse” at Mind Matters News
• “It’s AI Art — But Is That Really Art?” at Mind Matters News
• “When Should AI Art Be Protected By Copyright?” at Mind Matters News
• Hal Philipp at Michigan Tech
• Hal Philipp on the Mind Matters podcast