Pro: a patent might be useful as a visible proof of the company's asset.
Pro: a patent might be useful to sue a competitor
Pro: ...I think that's all.
Con: publishing is much, much cheaper
Con: having a patent won't save you much in a defensive lawsuit. Establishing that a patent covers what you think it covers versus a publication covering the same technique will come out even.
Con: publishing benefits other programmers. Most of them will not be in competition with you.
Con: owning a patent that other programmers want to use forces them to buy licenses and hire lawyers, which are not things that other programmers enjoy.
no subject
Pro: a patent might be useful as a visible proof of the company's asset.
Pro: a patent might be useful to sue a competitor
Pro: ...I think that's all.
Con: publishing is much, much cheaper
Con: having a patent won't save you much in a defensive lawsuit. Establishing that a patent covers what you think it covers versus a publication covering the same technique will come out even.
Con: publishing benefits other programmers. Most of them will not be in competition with you.
Con: owning a patent that other programmers want to use forces them to buy licenses and hire lawyers, which are not things that other programmers enjoy.
But mostly I could just point you at
http://jducoeur.livejournal.com/845505.html
and
https://jducoeur.dreamwidth.org/265450.html
and https://jducoeur.dreamwidth.org/528071.html?thread=3962055#cmt3962055