Say if a bank patented some blockchain tweak that was awe inspiring, what would be the deal if an anonymous developer added it to the Bitcoin code and the majority chose to run it?
Who or what would the patent holder sue? If BTC was using patented code from elsewhere would anyone identifiable running it be gone after? Would Bitcoin itself be treated as some type of legal pariah by regulated businesses?
I don’t see the point of this question.
FYI, Core developers are sensitive and cautious as to patent issues. I know of code within Core which is marked experimental and not compiled by default, due to using methods which may be possibly arguably allegeably patented in some jurisdictions. Those who are not in such jurisdictions or are doing R&D may enable this code (performance increase stuff). Moreover, I know of instances in which Core has decided against adding features which may incur patent problems in some places.
The implication about anonymous or pseudonymous developers is improper. Speaking only for myself (and
n.b. that I have not yet contributed anything to Core other than a small BIP patch): On a personal level, patents (and also copyrights) are nonexistent to me. This is based on my principles and my opinions, as applied to me only. Whereas I would
never knowingly place people who rely on my code in the position of potentially getting blindsided with liabilities unforeseen by them. My responsibility is to them. That is also a matter of principle. It doesn’t matter if I’m “anonymous”: I know that my users aren’t, and they are trusting me.
“Anonymous” developers are perhaps in some ways the most sensitive to such issues. “Anonymity” is often a sign that somebody realizes the brokenness of society, law, and just about everything else so fully as to take on the substantial burden of compartmenting one’s life. It’s not easy.
Moreover: Every line of code in Core is reviewed by very smart people who are not anonymous at all. Good luck slipping something in on their watch.
