The Genie in the Machine: How Computer-Automated Inventing Is Revolutionizing Law and Business (Stanford Law Books) [Hardcover]

Robert Plotkin (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0804756996 | ISBN-13: 978-0804756990 | Publication Date: April 20, 2009

We have long considered inventing to be a uniquely human activity. But just as the assembly line automated the process of manufacturing, today's computers are automating the process of inventing. Software can automatically generate designs for everything from toothbrushes to antennas to automobile frames more quickly and inexpensively than ever before, thereby ushering in a new era of artificial invention.

Inventors will use artificial invention technology to boost their inventive abilities to previously undreamed-of heights, enabling small teams of inventors to compete with mega-corporations who insist on inventing the old-fashioned way. Even consumers will be able to use artificial invention technology to become inventors themselves. We stand poised to see the emergence of the "digital renaissance artisan"—a person who will have the ability to not only design new inventions at the touch of a button, but also to manufacture them automatically from the comfort of home. As Robert Plotkin reveals in this landmark book, our decisions about these inventions today will dictate who gets to control this powerful technology tomorrow.

Should inventions designed by software be patentable? Should the software that produces those designs be patentable? The Genie in the Machine offers the first-ever examination of the implications of artificial invention technology for patent law, the law of invention. Along with practical advice for inventors, high-tech companies, and patent lawyers, this forward-looking book provides concrete recommendations for reforming patent law in light of the growing importance of invention-automation technology.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sure, MIT's new Jeopardy-playing computer just got challenged by Ken Jennings, the quiz-show's Kasparov, but could a computer surpass Edison at invention? As tech-centric patent lawyer Plotkin explains, computers have already developed a revolutionary toothbrush and radio antennae, and in some ways are better suited to invention. Able to conceive of and abandon ideas without biases, and with greater speed and range, they would likely have saved Edison's lightbulb about 10,000 failed attempts. With the rise of invention-assisting computer programs he calls "genies," Plotkin predicts a "digital renaissance," provided patent law doesn't stunt its progress; to compare, he considers how the Internet might have been hobbled by restricting tools like HTML and Java. Plotkin argues that genies should be open platforms, free for anyone to use, and that the commands used to create parameters for the end-product ("wishes") should be patentable (despite potential grumbling from programmers and big business). At times, Plotkin overindulges in pedantic language and tangents (like the prehistory of genies), at the expense of compelling topics like, for instance, how genies work, or the underlying principles of patent law. Nevertheless, this absorbing look at the democratizing advances in invention technology should capture the imagination of engineers, programmers and entrepreneurs.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Plotkin's book demonstrates that computer-automated inventing is not an academic curiosity or fad, but rather a new way of inventing that will dominate the 21st Century and change how we invent—and how we think about inventing—forever."
—John Koza, Consulting Professor, Stanford University

"In this provocative and important book, Robert Plotkin offers a fascinating look at the future of invention. The Genie in the Machine belongs on every innovator's bookshelf." —Daniel H. Pink, author of A Whole New Mind

"We've entered the Artificial Invention Age, where programs can automatically synthesize new product designs given only a description of what's required. What's the invention here? Is it the new design? The program? The requirements? And which of these should be patentable? The Genie in the Machine lays out the choices for patent and invention policy with compelling clarity. It's an essential roadmap for anyone concerned with the future of innovation." —Hal Abelson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Stanford Law Books (April 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804756996
• ISBN-13: 978-0804756990
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,432,330 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert Plotkin is the author of The Genie in the Machine: How Computer-Automated Inventing is Revolutionizing Law and Business. The book:
- describes how computers are automating the process of inventing, just as the assembly line automated the process of manufacturing;
- explains how patent law needs to be updated to handle invention automation technology and the inventions it produces; and
- provides concrete strategies that inventors, high-tech companies, consumers, and high-tech lawyers should follow if they want to thrive in the age of automated inventing.

Robert Plotkin is an attorney at the law firm of Robert Plotkin, P.C., where he specializes in patent protection for computer technology. He is also a Lecturer at the Boston University School of Law.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Everyone in the Computer Field, June 15, 2009

By 

IPWatchdog "IPWatchdog" (Northern Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Genie in the Machine: How Computer-Automated Inventing Is Revolutionizing Law and Business (Stanford Law Books) (Hardcover)

I am a patent attorney and blogger. I specialize in software and computer related inventions, and write about the patenting of software regularly. Robert Plotkin captures the essence of the debate in an extremely well written, easy to read, fun and enjoyable way. Whether you are for software patents or against software patents, you absolutely should read this book. It is thought provoking and entertaining. If you have an open mind on the subject of patent law, software and innovation you will undoubtedly find yourself repeatedly torn by what should be done, and if there is any real expectation that the laws will change to acknowledge the new paradigm Plotkin discusses. The premise of the book is that with the advancement of computer technologies far more people can become inventors. You no longer need to have intimate familiarity with a particular field of endeavor to be able to use computer technologies to model an invention and carry it through to fruition. This, however, means that patent law should perhaps adapt to recognize that 19th and 20th century ideas about what is obvious should be reconsidered. Plotkin offers clear examples to demonstrate his position, offers suggestions for changes in the law, and even directly confronts whether software should be considered patentable in the first place. I highly recommend this book for anyone in the patent and innovation fields, and if you are a technologist you absolutely need to read this book. Well done indeed!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine manual on technology and law, May 8, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Genie in the Machine: How Computer-Automated Inventing Is Revolutionizing Law and Business (Stanford Law Books) (Hardcover)

Computers have changed anything and everything about society. "The Genie In the Machine: How Computer-Automated Inventing is Revolutionizing Law & Business" takes a look at how the computer has now stepped into the field of creativity and invention, a science once thought to be the one thing computers cannot do that humans can. Artificial invention has many implications on society and will revolutionize it. But what does this mean in the field of legality and business? Asking and answering this tough yet vital question, "The Genie in the Machine" is a fine manual on technology and law.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A glimpse into the future, May 2, 2009

By 

Steven K. Gold "Serial Entrepreneur & Author ... (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Genie in the Machine: How Computer-Automated Inventing Is Revolutionizing Law and Business (Stanford Law Books) (Hardcover)

Robert Plotkin is an experienced patent attorney who specializes in hardware and software patents -- and who is an expert in the relatively new field of computer-automated inventing. As he describes in the book, while the dream of automated inventing has been around for a while, today's fast computers combined with innovative algorithms have finally made it a reality. He introduces us to machines (and the people behind them) that actually have the ability to surpass the creative capabilities of the human mind as inventors. In this fascinating book, Plotkin uses the metaphor of a genie and a wish to take us on a tour of the past and future of computer-automated inventing. He provides insightful case studies and references several of the leading thinkers in the field. The book also nicely balances being written for general and professional audiences. It includes information that is valuable for those whose careers are being impacted by these technologies, especially students and practitioners in the field of computer-automated inventing, intellectual property attorneys, corporate research and development managers, and independent inventors. While the entire book kept me engaged, for me the most thought-provoking part of the book is the discussion about what the future may hold for inventors, companies and consumers. It's incredible what these ideas and technologies can do, and the implications are broad. The book is highly recommended and it will change the way you view the future of technology and invention!