Drew Curtis: How I beat a patent troll

148,897 views ・ 2012-04-17

TED


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翻译人员: Dong Mao 校对人员: Zachary Lin Zhao
00:15
Last January, my company, Fark.com, was sued
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去年一月,我的的公司Fark.com,跟雅虎,MSN
00:19
along with Yahoo, MSN, Reddit,
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Reddit,AOL,TechCrunch
00:22
AOL, TechCrunch and others
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以及其他几个网站
00:25
by a company called Gooseberry Natural Resources.
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被一家叫做“醋栗自然资源” (Gooseberry Natural Resources)的公司给起诉了
00:28
Gooseberry owned a patent
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“醋栗”拥有一项关于
00:30
for the creation and distribution
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用电子邮件制作和传播
00:32
of news releases via email.
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新闻的专利
00:35
(Laughter)
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(笑声)
00:38
Now it may seem kind of strange that such a thing can actually be patented,
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这种东西都能被专利,我知道挺搞笑的
00:41
but it does happen all the time.
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不过这种事儿的确时时刻刻都在发生
00:43
Take something already being done
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把已经存在的东西据为己有
00:45
and patent it for an emerging technology --
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为新兴的技术申请专利——
00:47
like phone calls on the internet
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——像是网上电话
00:50
or video listings for TV shows
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或者是电视节目的视频清单
00:53
or radio but for cellphones,
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或者是手机广播
00:55
and so on.
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诸如此类
00:57
The problem with these patents
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这些专利的问题在于
00:59
is that the mechanisms are obscure
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它们的运行机制很晦涩
01:01
and the patent system is dysfunctional,
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整个专利系统也很混乱
01:03
and as a result, most of these lawsuits end in settlements.
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导致最终大多数的诉讼都以庭外和解告终
01:06
And because these settlements are under a non-disclosure agreement,
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但是由于在和解中所签署的条款都是保密的
01:09
no one knows what the terms were.
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所以没有人知道协议里到底说了什么
01:11
And as a result, the patent troll can claim
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那么那些“专利钓鱼者”就可宣称
01:13
that they won the case.
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他们赢了官司
01:16
In the case of Gooseberry Natural Resources,
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在和醋栗自然资源公司的官司中
01:18
this patent on emailing news releases
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这项关于邮件新闻发布的专利
01:20
had sort of a fatal flaw
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对于我的公司来说
01:22
as it pertained to myself,
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其实有致命的缺陷
01:24
and that was that in the mainstream media world
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那就是在主流媒体界
01:26
there is only one definition for news release,
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关于“新闻发布”的定义只有一项
01:29
and it turns out that is press release --
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那就是有关公共关系的
01:31
as in P.R.
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媒体新闻发布
01:33
Now my company, Fark,
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我的公司——Fark
01:35
deals with news, ostensibly,
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显然是在做真正的新闻而不是公关
01:37
and as a result
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因此
01:39
we were not in violation of this patent.
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我们应该没有侵犯这个专利
01:41
So case closed, right?
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官司完了?
01:43
Wrong.
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省省吧!
01:45
One of the major problems with patent law is that,
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专利法的一个大问题就是
01:47
in the case that when you are sued by a patent troll,
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当你被一个“专利钓鱼者”起诉的时候
01:50
the burden of proof that you did not infringe on the patent
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被告有义务证明自己
01:53
is actually on the defendant,
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没有侵权
01:55
which means you have to prove
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这意味着你不得不自证
01:57
that you do not infringe on the patent they're suing you on.
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你并没有侵犯他们在起诉中提到的那个专利
02:00
And this can take quite a while.
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这会花很长时间
02:03
You need to know that the average patent troll defense
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要知道通常在于“专利钓鱼者”之间的官司中
02:06
costs two million dollars
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你平均要花两百万美元和
02:08
and takes 18 months when you win.
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18个月来取得胜利
02:11
That is your best case outcome
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这就是当你被一个“专利钓鱼者”起诉时
02:13
when you get sued by a patent troll.
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能得到的最好的结果
02:15
Now I had hoped to team up with some of these larger companies
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我本希望能和那些大公司联手
02:18
in order to defend against this lawsuit,
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来打这场官司
02:20
but one-by-one they settled out of the case,
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不过一个接一个的,他们都和解了
02:23
even though -- and this is important --
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尽管如此——这很重要——
02:25
none of these companies
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他们中没有一个
02:27
infringed on this patent -- not a one of them.
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真正侵权了——一个都没有
02:30
And they started settling out.
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但是他们还是选择了和解
02:32
The reason they settled out
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他们庭外和解的原因是
02:34
is because it's cheaper to settle than to fight the lawsuit --
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这比打官司要便宜
02:36
clearly, two million dollars cheaper in some cases,
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很明显,有时甚至要便宜两百万
02:39
and much worse if you actually lose.
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而且你还很有可能输——如果情况更糟的话
02:41
It would also constitute a massive distraction for management of a company,
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这还会大大分散公司管理层的精力
02:44
especially a small eight-man shop like my company.
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尤其是我们这样的八人小公司
02:47
Six months into the lawsuit,
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在官司进行了六个月后
02:49
we finally reached the discovery phase.
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我们终于进入了互相举证环节
02:51
And in discovery phase,
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在这个阶段
02:53
we asked the patent troll to please provide
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我们要求这个“专利钓鱼公司”提供
02:55
screenshots of Fark
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我们Fark公司
02:57
where the infringement of their patent
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侵犯他们专利权的
02:59
was actually occurring.
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屏幕截图
03:01
Now perhaps it's because no such screenshots actually existed,
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当然了,可能是因为根本就没有这么一个截屏存在
03:05
but suddenly Gooseberry wanted to settle.
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总之“醋栗”突然想要和解了
03:07
Their attorney:
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他们的律师说
03:09
"Ah, yes. My company's having a reorganization on our end."
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“呃,那啥,我的客户公司最近重组了。”
03:13
Never mind the fact
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当然了我们先不计较他们公司的地址
03:15
that the address led to a strip mall somewhere in Northern L.A.
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其实是在北洛杉矶的某个购物中心里
03:17
with no employees.
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而且一个雇员都没有
03:19
"And we'd like to go ahead and close this out.
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“我们决定干脆把这个官司给停了
03:21
So would you mind giving us your best and final offer?"
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你介不介意给我出个价?”
03:25
My response:
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我说:
03:27
"How about nothing?!"
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“你觉得一个子儿都没有怎么样?”
03:29
(Applause)
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(掌声)
03:34
We didn't have high hopes for that outcome.
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我们本来真没指望结果是这样的。
03:36
(Laughter)
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(笑声)
03:38
But they settled.
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不过他们和解了
03:40
No counter offer.
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没有还价
03:42
Now, as mentioned before,
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像我之前说过的
03:44
one of the reasons I can talk to you about this
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我之所以能谈论这件事的原因之一是
03:46
is because there's no non-disclosure agreement on this case.
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我们没有签署非披露合约
03:48
Now how did that happen?
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怎么可能?
03:50
Well during the settlement process, when we received our copy, I struck it.
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在和解过程中,当我收到合约的拷贝时,我大改了一通
03:53
My attorney said, "Nah, no chance of that working."
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我的律师说“呃,估计这没戏”
03:56
It came back signed.
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但是他们签了
03:58
Now why? You can call them.
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为什么呢?你可以问他们
04:01
They're not under NDA either.
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反正他们签的也是非披露合约
04:03
Now what did I learn from this case? Well, three things.
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我从这个事情中学到了什么呢?三件事儿
04:06
First of all, if you can,
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第一 如果可以的话
04:09
don't fight the patent, fight the infringement.
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别在专利本身上纠缠,而是要去讨论是否侵权
04:12
Patents are very difficult to overturn.
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专利是很难被推翻的
04:14
Infringement is a lot easier to disprove.
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证明没有侵权的话会容易得多
04:17
Secondly, make it clear from the beginning
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第二,在一开始就让他们明白
04:19
that either you have no money at all
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你根本没钱
04:21
or that you would rather spend money with your attorney fighting the troll
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或者你与其给他们钱你更愿意
04:25
than actually giving them the money.
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把钱花在打官司上
04:27
Now the reason this works
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这之所以有效的原因是
04:29
is because patent trolls
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“专利钓鱼者”们
04:31
are paid a percentage of what they're able to recover in settlements.
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会得到和解金额的一部分
04:34
If it becomes clear to them that they cannot recover any money,
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如果他们明白他们真的拿不到钱
04:37
they become less interested in pursuing the case.
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那么他们就不会兴趣把这个官司继续下去
04:40
Finally, make sure that you can tell them
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最后,一定要让他们知道
04:42
that you will make this process
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你会尽你所能把这个官司弄的
04:44
as annoying and as painful
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极其让他们头疼,让他们烦恼
04:46
and as difficult as possible for them.
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让他们觉得难以处理
04:49
Now this is a tactic that patent trolls are supposed to use on people
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这本来是他们那些“专利钓鱼者”为了让人们妥协
04:51
to get their way.
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而用的伎俩
04:53
It turns out, because they're paid on contingency,
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不过由于他们胜诉收费制度的存在
04:55
it works really, really well in reverse.
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这策略用在他们身上也极合适
04:57
Don't forget that.
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千万记好
04:59
So what does all this mean?
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那么这些事儿到底说明了什么呢?
05:01
Well to sum up,
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简单总结一下就是
05:03
it boils down to one thing:
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这可以得出一个结论
05:05
Don't negotiate with terrorists.
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不要跟恐怖分子谈判
05:08
(Applause)
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(掌声)
05:13
Patent trolls have done more damage to the United States economy
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这些“专利钓鱼者”对美国经济造成的伤害
05:16
than any domestic or foreign
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比任何本土或者国外的
05:18
terrorist organization in history
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恐怖组织都要大
05:21
every year.
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每年都是
05:24
And what do they do with that money?
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他们用这些钱干什么呢?
05:27
They plow it right back into filing more troll lawsuits.
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他们把它用在申请更多的钓鱼诉讼上
05:31
Now this is the point in the Talk
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现在我要说说我应该怎样
05:33
where I'm supposed to come up with some kind of a solution for the patent system.
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为我们的专利体系想出个什么解决方法
05:36
And the problem with that
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问题是
05:38
is that there are two very large industry groups
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两个重要的的行业却对
05:40
that have different outcomes in mind
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我们的专利体系有着
05:42
for the patent system.
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两个不同的想法
05:44
The health care industry
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医疗保障系统
05:46
would like stronger protections for inventors.
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希望发明者被重点保护
05:48
The hi-tech industry
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不过高科技产业呢
05:50
would like stronger protections for producers.
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则希望生产者被重点保护
05:52
And these goals aren't necessarily diametrically opposed, but they are at odds.
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他们的两者并不是完全的对立的,不过他们的确有分歧
05:55
And as a result, patent trolls can kind of live in the space in between.
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因此,“专利钓鱼者”们就从这两者之间的分歧区域寻找机会
05:59
So unfortunately I'm not smart enough
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非常不幸我并没有聪明到能
06:01
to have a solution for the patent troll problem.
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想出一个解决办法
06:04
However, I did have this idea,
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不过,我确实有个小想法
06:07
and it was kind of good.
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而且它似乎还不错
06:10
And I thought, "I should patent this."
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我觉得:“我得给它申请个专利”
06:12
(Laughter)
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(笑声)
06:15
Behold, patent infringement via mobile device --
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注意——移动设备上的专利侵权——
06:20
defined as a computer which is not stationary.
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就是在一个可移动电脑上的专利侵权
06:24
My solution: award me this patent
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这就是我的解决方法:给我这个专利
06:26
and I will troll them out of existence.
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我钓死那帮玩意儿
06:28
Thank you.
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谢谢!
06:30
(Applause)
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(掌声)
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