我還記得我的第一項(xiàng)IBM專利。
這項(xiàng)專利是我和同事們在2005年獲得的。我們當(dāng)時(shí)發(fā)明了一種光刻膠涂層防水材料。光刻膠是一種用于制作半導(dǎo)體芯片電路圖案的光敏物質(zhì)。對我來說,這是一個(gè)值得驕傲的時(shí)刻——尤其是因?yàn)槲抑肋@項(xiàng)專利包含的新穎功能,對于一種名為“浸沒式光刻”的全新技術(shù)至關(guān)重要。這種技術(shù)很快就成為制造所有先進(jìn)芯片的基石,直到今天依然如此。
專利是一項(xiàng)發(fā)明的證據(jù),通過法律文件對其進(jìn)行保護(hù)。非常重要的一點(diǎn)是,專利公開出版,供所有人閱讀。在IBM和其他公司,一大批科學(xué)家和工程師正在積極地為未來世界的尖端技術(shù)播下研究的種子。我們公司最近獲得的專利涵蓋人工智能、混合云、網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全和量子計(jì)算等領(lǐng)域。沒有什么比這些技術(shù)更具前瞻性的了。
美國的專利制度可以追溯到建國之初。憲法對此作了詳細(xì)說明,允許國會(huì)授予發(fā)明家在特定時(shí)期內(nèi)對其發(fā)明的專有權(quán)。這種法律保證旨在激勵(lì)發(fā)明者不斷創(chuàng)新。
也許有人會(huì)反對為一些不能立即轉(zhuǎn)化為商業(yè)產(chǎn)品的發(fā)明設(shè)置專利權(quán)。但我對此不敢茍同。發(fā)明某種東西類似于提出一個(gè)經(jīng)過深思熟慮,或許有朝一日會(huì)得到實(shí)驗(yàn)驗(yàn)證的理論。也許它不會(huì)立刻派上用場,但提出一些有助于加深我們對一個(gè)領(lǐng)域的整體認(rèn)識,并促進(jìn)進(jìn)步的理論,仍然具有至關(guān)重要的意義。擁有面向未來的專利與擁有針對當(dāng)今產(chǎn)品的專利同樣重要,而廣泛的科學(xué)進(jìn)步組合最終總是會(huì)催生創(chuàng)新浪潮。
專利推動(dòng)創(chuàng)新和一個(gè)國家的經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展。多年來,專利為我們帶來了激光、自動(dòng)駕駛汽車、石墨烯和太陽能電池板等突破性技術(shù)。IBM的研究團(tuán)隊(duì)開發(fā)并獲得了一些被廣泛使用的產(chǎn)品的專利權(quán),比如自動(dòng)取款機(jī)(ATM)、語音識別技術(shù)、具有類似消費(fèi)者購物功能,用于處理商業(yè)訂單的B2B電子商務(wù)軟件、硬盤驅(qū)動(dòng)器、DRAM(即無處不在的存儲(chǔ)器,正是它為我們的手機(jī)和電腦提供動(dòng)力),甚至還包括大名鼎鼎,現(xiàn)已成為歷史的軟盤。所有這些只是其中一部分。事實(shí)上,正如媒體本周報(bào)道的那樣,2020年是IBM連續(xù)第28年在專利授權(quán)數(shù)量方面領(lǐng)跑美國。
專利給予發(fā)明的保護(hù)保證,是企業(yè)投入數(shù)十億美元進(jìn)行研發(fā)的重要原因。這促使不同公司的科學(xué)家和工程師努力尋找最好的、最具原創(chuàng)性的解決方案來攻克世界面臨的種種問題,為新的和更好的產(chǎn)品鋪平道路。我們還沒有把全球問題解決完,還遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)沒有。創(chuàng)新能夠幫助我們應(yīng)對流行病、解決全球變暖、能源和糧食短缺等眾多難題。
最后我想談一點(diǎn)感悟。充滿活力的創(chuàng)新文化將專利和出版結(jié)合起來,有助于促進(jìn)開源且活躍的市場試驗(yàn)和發(fā)現(xiàn)。所有這些都是必要的,創(chuàng)新者在迸發(fā)新奇想法的火花時(shí)感受到的喜悅,以及將這些想法付諸實(shí)踐的愿望,都會(huì)為之推波助瀾。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
本文作者達(dá)里奧?吉爾是IBM研究部高級副總裁兼總監(jiān)。他還負(fù)責(zé)IBM的知識產(chǎn)權(quán)戰(zhàn)略和業(yè)務(wù)。
譯者:任文科
我還記得我的第一項(xiàng)IBM專利。
這項(xiàng)專利是我和同事們在2005年獲得的。我們當(dāng)時(shí)發(fā)明了一種光刻膠涂層防水材料。光刻膠是一種用于制作半導(dǎo)體芯片電路圖案的光敏物質(zhì)。對我來說,這是一個(gè)值得驕傲的時(shí)刻——尤其是因?yàn)槲抑肋@項(xiàng)專利包含的新穎功能,對于一種名為“浸沒式光刻”的全新技術(shù)至關(guān)重要。這種技術(shù)很快就成為制造所有先進(jìn)芯片的基石,直到今天依然如此。
專利是一項(xiàng)發(fā)明的證據(jù),通過法律文件對其進(jìn)行保護(hù)。非常重要的一點(diǎn)是,專利公開出版,供所有人閱讀。在IBM和其他公司,一大批科學(xué)家和工程師正在積極地為未來世界的尖端技術(shù)播下研究的種子。我們公司最近獲得的專利涵蓋人工智能、混合云、網(wǎng)絡(luò)安全和量子計(jì)算等領(lǐng)域。沒有什么比這些技術(shù)更具前瞻性的了。
美國的專利制度可以追溯到建國之初。憲法對此作了詳細(xì)說明,允許國會(huì)授予發(fā)明家在特定時(shí)期內(nèi)對其發(fā)明的專有權(quán)。這種法律保證旨在激勵(lì)發(fā)明者不斷創(chuàng)新。
也許有人會(huì)反對為一些不能立即轉(zhuǎn)化為商業(yè)產(chǎn)品的發(fā)明設(shè)置專利權(quán)。但我對此不敢茍同。發(fā)明某種東西類似于提出一個(gè)經(jīng)過深思熟慮,或許有朝一日會(huì)得到實(shí)驗(yàn)驗(yàn)證的理論。也許它不會(huì)立刻派上用場,但提出一些有助于加深我們對一個(gè)領(lǐng)域的整體認(rèn)識,并促進(jìn)進(jìn)步的理論,仍然具有至關(guān)重要的意義。擁有面向未來的專利與擁有針對當(dāng)今產(chǎn)品的專利同樣重要,而廣泛的科學(xué)進(jìn)步組合最終總是會(huì)催生創(chuàng)新浪潮。
專利推動(dòng)創(chuàng)新和一個(gè)國家的經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展。多年來,專利為我們帶來了激光、自動(dòng)駕駛汽車、石墨烯和太陽能電池板等突破性技術(shù)。IBM的研究團(tuán)隊(duì)開發(fā)并獲得了一些被廣泛使用的產(chǎn)品的專利權(quán),比如自動(dòng)取款機(jī)(ATM)、語音識別技術(shù)、具有類似消費(fèi)者購物功能,用于處理商業(yè)訂單的B2B電子商務(wù)軟件、硬盤驅(qū)動(dòng)器、DRAM(即無處不在的存儲(chǔ)器,正是它為我們的手機(jī)和電腦提供動(dòng)力),甚至還包括大名鼎鼎,現(xiàn)已成為歷史的軟盤。所有這些只是其中一部分。事實(shí)上,正如媒體本周報(bào)道的那樣,2020年是IBM連續(xù)第28年在專利授權(quán)數(shù)量方面領(lǐng)跑美國。
專利給予發(fā)明的保護(hù)保證,是企業(yè)投入數(shù)十億美元進(jìn)行研發(fā)的重要原因。這促使不同公司的科學(xué)家和工程師努力尋找最好的、最具原創(chuàng)性的解決方案來攻克世界面臨的種種問題,為新的和更好的產(chǎn)品鋪平道路。我們還沒有把全球問題解決完,還遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)沒有。創(chuàng)新能夠幫助我們應(yīng)對流行病、解決全球變暖、能源和糧食短缺等眾多難題。
最后我想談一點(diǎn)感悟。充滿活力的創(chuàng)新文化將專利和出版結(jié)合起來,有助于促進(jìn)開源且活躍的市場試驗(yàn)和發(fā)現(xiàn)。所有這些都是必要的,創(chuàng)新者在迸發(fā)新奇想法的火花時(shí)感受到的喜悅,以及將這些想法付諸實(shí)踐的愿望,都會(huì)為之推波助瀾。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng))
本文作者達(dá)里奧?吉爾是IBM研究部高級副總裁兼總監(jiān)。他還負(fù)責(zé)IBM的知識產(chǎn)權(quán)戰(zhàn)略和業(yè)務(wù)。
譯者:任文科
I remember my first IBM patent.
Granted to my colleagues and myself in 2005, it was for a topcoat waterproof material for a photoresist—a light-sensitive substance used to make circuit patterns for semiconductor chips. It was a proud moment for me—especially because I knew that this patent contained novel capabilities that were critical for a brand-new technology called immersion lithography. This technology soon became the basis for how all advanced chips are manufactured, even to this day.
A patent is evidence of an invention, protecting it through legal documentation and, importantly, published for all to read. We scientists and engineers, at IBM and elsewhere, are actively planting the research seeds for the bleeding-edge technological world of tomorrow. At my company, our most recent patents span artificial intelligence (A.I.), the hybrid cloud, cybersecurity, and quantum computing. It doesn’t get more future-looking than this.
The U.S. patent system goes back to the very dawn of our nation. It is detailed in the Constitution, enabling the Congress to grant inventors the exclusive right to their discoveries for a specific period of time. It is an assurance designed to motivate inventors to keep innovating.
One might argue against having patents that don’t immediately get turned into commercial products. But I disagree. Inventing something is similar to putting forward a well thought out theory that may, one day, be verified experimentally. Perhaps it won’t be put to use straight away, but it’s still vital to have theories to enhance our overall understanding of a field and to keep progress going. Having future-looking patents is just as important as having those aimed at products of today, and a broad portfolio of scientific advances always ends up contributing to waves of innovation.
Patents drive innovation and a nation’s economic performance. Over the years, they have given us breakthrough technologies such as the laser, self-driving cars, graphene, and solar panels. We at IBM have developed and patented such widely used products as the automated teller machine (ATM), speech-recognition technology, B2B e-commerce software with consumer-like shopping features for processing business orders, the hard disk drive, DRAM (the ubiquitous memory that powers our phones and computers), and even the famous floppy disk that’s now history, to name just a few. In fact, as was reported this week, 2020 was the 28th year in a row that IBM led the U.S. in the number of patents granted.
A patent’s assurance of the protection of inventions is a key reason why companies invest billions of dollars in research and development. This results in scientists and engineers at different companies trying to find the best, most original solutions to the world’s problems, paving the way for new and better products. And we haven’t run out of global problems to solve, far from it. Innovation is what helps us deal with pandemics, tackle global warming, address energy and food shortages, and much more.
I’ll end with a reflection. A vibrant culture of innovation combines patenting, publishing, and contributing to open-source and active in-market experimentation and discovery. All are needed, fueled by the joy that innovators experience with the spark of novel ideas, and the desire to bring them to life.
Darío Gil is senior vice president and director of IBM Research. He is also responsible for IBM’s intellectual property strategy and business.