Customer Reviews

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

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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!

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.

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!