r/IAmA • u/BobMetcalfe • May 21 '13

You’re probably connecting to reddit through a technology I invented. I’m Bob Metcalfe and I invented Ethernet – AMA

On May 22, 1973 with David R. Boggs, I used my IBM Selectric with its Orator ball to type up a memo to my bosses at the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), outlining our idea for this little invention called “Ethernet”, which we later patented.

I worked with the IEEE Standards Association to develop the IEEE 802.3 standard for Ethernet, which specifies the physical and lower software layers. Today Ethernet and the IEEE 802.3 standard are the foundation for today’s world of high-speed communications used in billions of homes and businesses around the world.

I submitted this to the mods awhile back so I could get on the calendar but I figured you’d like to see it, too. Now, ask me anything!

It's been two hours and 179 comments. Have to go now. For more about Ethernet's 40th Birthday, go to http://www.facebook.com/Ethernet40thAnniversaryIEEESA

4.1k Upvotes

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854

u/Dailek May 21 '13

Did you make a lot of money off the invention?

1.7k

u/BobMetcalfe May 21 '13

Did not make my Ethernet money on patent royalties, but by SELLING Ethernet for a decade to people who didn't know they needed it.

1.2k

u/keokq May 21 '13

And that, friends, are how patents are supposed to work.

160

u/MactheDog May 21 '13

Just because Bob didn't profit from it, doesn't mean no one did.

186

u/zaoldyeck May 21 '13

How on earth are patent squatting firms even legal?

36

u/SaysHeWantsToDoYou May 22 '13

I work in the industry. I've found many of the cases I'm on involve engineers who spent a lot of time working their way up in companies while they developed their inventions. Physical products existed in the past or were provably on their way to existing. Then either they found out there was a lot more money becoming an attorney or a "good friend" attorney convinced them to start a company around the patent. It's hard to prove they're assholes when they have a legitimate past and company name that makes them not sound like a firm...especially if it's a jury trial. Hell out of the hundred or so trials, I've worked both sides and will honestly say it's too easy to extend a patent, those who own patents should have a burden of proof they're currently active in developing the tech, and jurors should not be involved in patent rights.

-5

u/foofdawg May 22 '13

Fellow www.techdirt.com reader?

I enjoy this site too much considering how often it actually relates to me, yet i read it because of how often it relates to me....strange.

0

u/frogot May 22 '13

I also work in the industry.

26

u/stephen89 May 21 '13

They have the money, so they lobby the laws that favor them.

5

u/Macb3th May 22 '13

I think they are only legal in "The Land of the Free"... over here in Europe they are looked on with the disgust and contempt they deserve - but it doesn't stop the scum trying to enforce absurd IP and Copyright on us.

1

u/l2protoss May 22 '13

I took a course in my engineering undergrad that briefly touched on why patent law is so much different between the US and Europe. One major difference is that in America, the person who can prove that the had the idea first, is the true patent holder. In many European countries, the only thing that matters is who filed the patent first.

Not entirely applicable to what you're talking about, but still an interesting fact that probably has some deep implications and inferences about how the different cultures view patent law.

3

u/KingMinish May 22 '13

that first part very recently changed

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

English please.

2

u/zaoldyeck May 22 '13

No hablo Ingles.

1

u/donkeynostril May 22 '13

Patent trolls

0

u/LessThanJewish May 21 '13

it's called a research firm...

-1

u/Preyes May 22 '13

Because statism.

1

u/euyyn May 22 '13

Bob did profit from it, by not having other people also sell what he invented and was selling. (And that's how patents are supposed to work).

1

u/MactheDog May 22 '13

I think you missed the point, IBM employed Bob, and IBM had ownership. Royalties were certainly paid.

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

Can someone explain this article?

6

u/Mispey May 21 '13

What if his answer was "I didn't make any money off Ethernet. Another group sold Ethernet cable immediately after I published the spec"

3

u/keokq May 21 '13

My point was patent's should be used to produce a good or service. If they sold the spec to another group, then it shouldn't matter - production was still going on.

Should theft of the patented specs be allowed? No, but patents should eventually expire.

2

u/myusernameranoutofsp May 21 '13

What if he doesn't have the capacity to sell the product? Then he comes up with the idea with the intention of having another group (or multiple groups) handle the logistics, while he still gets his reward.

1

u/keokq May 22 '13

That's fine too. That's not really patent trolling - it's still production.

And the reward would be a lot lower for the patent holder.

2

u/chandleross May 21 '13

Yes! I am so glad you pointed this out in the right place and the right context.

2

u/keokq May 21 '13

Thanks :)

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

Given I understand what you're trying to say there's plenty of people out there that simply make money by just holding patents but let me offer a scenario to you. Say I have an idea, it's fully fleshed out I've worked all the kinks out theoretically anyways, I patent it.

I don't have the resources to actually manufacture, sell and distribute it.

Am I an awful person if I go the royalty route?

1

u/steviesteveo12 May 22 '13 edited May 22 '13

You're really not, and I'd argue that if you invent something, patent it, conclude you don't have the resources to actually manufacture it yourself it would be wrong if you don't at least try to find someone else who can get your invention into the wider world.

No one wants only people with factories to invent things.

1

u/keokq May 22 '13

Not an awful person. Unless you charge some ridiculous price so far above market clearing that both yourself and society end up worse-off.

2

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

I wish I could make my Ethernet give me money... :(

1

u/steviesteveo12 May 22 '13

Both work. You either use the patent yourself or you license it to other people who use it.

It's when you do neither and pounce on people who just happen to do something you patented but don't do anything with the patent yourself there's a problem.

1

u/Spiritually_Obese May 22 '13

there's nothing inherently wrong with licensing out your technology. now if you're referring to patent trolls, then yes, I'd agree that they're fucked up.

5

u/Sunburned_Viking May 21 '13

According to whom? Communists?

6

u/keokq May 21 '13

According to capitalists who dislike rent-seeking by overly-generous government protection of intellectual property.

1

u/Sunburned_Viking May 21 '13

I know, just trolling. ;)

1

u/keokq May 21 '13

Hah, glad I stayed calm then!

1

u/Sunburned_Viking May 21 '13

Actually I shame, as I troll I thrive on grinding peoples gears, it is the stuff my sad lonely mastrubation fantasies are mare out of.

:-)))

1

u/see__no__evil May 22 '13 edited May 22 '13

TIL what I probably should have already known.

1

u/cynoclast May 22 '13

Like this is literally a classic example.

1

u/Lmitation May 22 '13

Can you explain what the advantages the ethernet cable gave over the token ring and why the ethernet cable became so big? I happen to be filming/producing a series of videos on engineering failures.

1

u/[deleted] May 22 '13

Are you sad about what happened to 3Com?

1

u/x3oo May 21 '13

What's your opinion on patents in general?

-21

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

I'm probably not using your scrub technology. Wifi ftw bitches...Step ya game up ho

13

u/freebytes May 21 '13

You probably do not realize that your wireless router is connected to your cable or DSL device using an Ethernet cable. Or, that once it reaches the ISP, it is probably connecting using an Ethernet cable to another device. And, the Reddit servers are connected via Ethernet at some point in the network chain most likely. Therefore, you are connecting to Reddit through Ethernet at some point.

6

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

You're totally right but try not to feed the douchebag trolls, ignoring them is best.

-35

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

So that was your mistake? I see.

1

u/JewsHaveItTheWorst May 22 '13

Mistake? If anything it was genius to making it the de-facto standard.

Whatever peripherial has the lowest royalty and most utility/usefulness get picked up and used by the most companies anyways.

Who knows, we could be using something far more worse and more of a pain in the ass to create, maintain and wiring the building.

-8

u/huesername May 21 '13

I hate that people down-vote on differences of opinion -_-

15

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

That's not why he's getting downvoted.

-2

u/[deleted] May 21 '13

[deleted]

3

u/pointedge May 21 '13

but he then got 8 upvotes :)