I don't know whether I'm missing something obvious, but with a patent, only the patenting company would use their patented idea. In your post you say:
> If you disclose your brilliant idea, everyone will copy it and your advantage in the marketplace will be transitory.
but that is the very point that patents are supposed to prevent. So why do you say that?
The post you're replying to says:
> I don't think the money would have been spent if our competition could immediately copy what we figured out. Customers did benefit then, and now, 20 years later, anyone can do it
so clearly the patent worked for them: they were able to use their simple and intuitive UI, while the competition could not copy it till 20 years later. So what is the question?
I don't know whether I'm missing something obvious, but with a patent, only the patenting company would use their patented idea. In your post you say:
> If you disclose your brilliant idea, everyone will copy it and your advantage in the marketplace will be transitory.
but that is the very point that patents are supposed to prevent. So why do you say that?
The post you're replying to says:
> I don't think the money would have been spent if our competition could immediately copy what we figured out. Customers did benefit then, and now, 20 years later, anyone can do it
so clearly the patent worked for them: they were able to use their simple and intuitive UI, while the competition could not copy it till 20 years later. So what is the question?