rapid serial visual presentation, software patents
March 25th, 2004 | Tags: Computing | 6 Comments
After seeing Trevor Smith’s rad speed reader remix of a novel, I thought it would be cool to see how well the speed-reading concept works more generally. So I read a couple of papers, including this one on rapid serial visual presentation. I then spent about ten minutes writing a python script to “read” a document to a user with controllable variable speed. The end results are incredibly impressive: in general, I either read very quickly and miss some details or read extremely slowly and get distracted before I can finish, but with this technique, I can read over 1000 words per minute, remembering everything. (My reading practice is probably indicative of a severe learning disability.)
I thought it would be nice to share this script with other people who read the same way I do, even though it’s under 100 lines of python and would be trivial to write for an even remotely-experienced programmer. I uploaded it to my web server and started writing this entry. I was then plagued with a terrible thought: What if this technique is patented?
As it turns out, it is. I spent about an hour reading various patents describing speed-reading techniques, incremental refinements to speed-reading techniques, and cute interfaces for incrementally-refined speed-reading techniques. I’m not a lawyer, but it seems to me that any of these patents are so broad as to include any possible computer-aided speed reading “device”. One choice quote from a patent confirmed my suspicion that anyone distributing speed-reading software would get subpoenaed in short order:
While the invention has been described with reference to at least one preferred embodiment, it is to be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited thereto.
Wow. The oldest patent describing some variant of this technique is 4,845,645; it appears to expire sometime in July, 2006. So, unless I unexpectedly move to Scandinavia, it looks like I won’t be sharing the link to my script anytime soon.
How stupid is it that a piece of software that is almost too trivial to be copyrightable could possibly infringe upon a patent? I always knew that software patents were a bad idea, and that software patents lead to ludicrous, arbitrary restrictions, but I guess one doesn’t know how bad things are until ten minutes worth of one’s own typing is potentially legally actionable. I’m going to have to join the arms race myself, patenting every idea I’ve ever had.
I’m currently listening to Act 1 Scene 1 – Da zu dir der Heiland kam from the album “Wagner – Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Karajan, Dresdener Staatskapelle)” by Herbert von Karajan & Staatskapelle Dresden
June 27th, 2005 at 09:58:07 AM (#)
July 2006 isn’t that far away. And if you do post the code, all you do is wait for the “cease and desist” order and then take it down. It would probably take until July 2006 for them to realize you posted the code anyway.
August 24th, 2005 at 12:04:59 AM (#)
It’s not really the software that’s patented, it’s the concept. Frankly, it is pretty amazing, unintuitive, and surprisingly effective. Unfortunately, no one yet seems to know how to make money off it, but I’m glad to see it will be in public domain soon.
September 5th, 2005 at 06:22:13 AM (#)
I have recently created an open-source javascript-based RSVP reader and Firefox extension and was contacted by one Bill Phelan claiming that the RSVP technology was patented by him and I would need to get a license from him to use it. Was his one of the patents you encountered? There seem to be several RSVP readers out there and I’m wondering if he is raising this licensing issue with them too. I’ts certainly a disappointment, as I don’t have any money to pay licensing fees for a product I developed as a free service and I don’t want the work I’ve done to go to waste.
March 27th, 2006 at 05:18:03 PM (#)
Hi there – I’m interested in another aspect of RSVP – why hasn’t it taken off? Particularly for handheld devices. I’m a ’slow’ reader so I find it useful – maybe this is relatively unusual?
July 5th, 2006 at 08:54:48 PM (#)
Guys,
first off… the technology is public domain, and was put in the public domain by the air force. So anyone telling you otherwise and asking you for a “license” fee can kiss off.
second, I created a pocketpc version call “FastReader” and it can still be picked up at pocketgear or handango if anyone wants to play with the demo and send me feedback. I created it a few years back… but it still works pretty well. (I use it on my 6700 sprint phone)
third, I believe the reason it hasn’t taken off, maybe because most folks want a video, or audio book now a days, rather than to read a book. Another idea that comes to mind, is that some folks like to saviour a book, youknow, take their time, flip a page…etc.
Using FastReader and other products like it, allows you to read fast and understand what is going on… but sometimes i find myself pausing my reading to catch up on feelings that the book’s words produces…
it’s like if you are thirsty, and the only water available is from a powerfull firehydrant … you’ll quence your thirst, but you have to recover a bit afterwords. Or for someother folks, it would be like listening to music notes without the proper delay or spacing in between… the feeling of the music may be all wrong…
for a concentrated effort to do something, building “Flash Card” text for the FastReader, or gain book knowledge, it works well, but for enjoyment from RSVP, you need to think differently, and pause every so often to get the juicy nuggets of enjoyment out of the book you are reading.
June 10th, 2007 at 10:41:46 AM (#)
If someone has a patent on RSVP software, what are they going to do about subtitles? :D
I thought that for a patent you had to have an “invention”. Guess I’m happy to live in Europe. But since it’s 2007 you can post the script now…