SFS1: Science Fiction Short Stories

Начало книги

I’m Bill Ambrosone. And I’m a scientist who specializes in DNA. But more than that, I’m a businessman. I own five different labs and our primary service is analyzing DNA samples for clients. The cost for our services is lower than you’d think. We identify hereditary disease markers for the most part, but it’s not unheard of to get a request for a paternity test. For the past three years I’ve been working on a project and once I have the patent for it, our business will take off like never before. You might ask what the advancement is, and I’ll tell you. Just bear with me. I’ve got to get this patent. If I go to the market with my product without a patent, the next guy will come in and swoop it out from under my feet.

I waited for the mail that day for what seemed like forever. When the mail carrier arrived, I hurried down the steps and out to the mail box. I sorted through the mail until I found an envelope that was stamped with “USPTO,” the acronym for the patent office. I ripped open the letter and poured through the contents. “We’re sorry to inform you that your request for a patent has been rejected.” Needless to say, I was upset. Since I applied for the patent, it’s now public knowledge. Even though I hadn’t been able to get a patent, I also didn’t need to have given out my trade secrets to every upstart who wanted to run a DNA lab. And what’s to say the next guy who tried to apply for a patent with a slightly modified version of my work wouldn’t get one and put me out of business altogether?

Читать дальше →