Episode Summary:
Ric Richardson is an Australian inventor who first came to prominence as a result of his invention of Software Activation, a technique used in software anti-piracy. Ric founded the Uniloc Company and entered an agreement with IBM to commercialise the invention, which Ric says has now been used on two and a half billion computers globally. In 2011 a US court awarded Uniloc $388 million in damages after Microsoft was found to have infringed on Ric’s patent, and the subsequent publicity surrounding the case led to the TV program Australian Story creating an episode covering the trial. In his conversation with Adam, Ric discusses the surge of support he received after the Australian Story episode was watched by 2 million people, and what he sees as the contrasting skills and personalities needed for creating an invention, and running a company.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:29 Meet Ric Richardson
00:42 Ric's Current Projects
01:19 Discussing the Importance of Self-Awareness
02:56 The Difference Between Problem Solving and Business Management
05:20 The Role of Inventors in Business
07:08 Ric's Experience with Patents
09:05 The Impact of Australian Culture on Innovation
10:27 Starting Unilock in 1992
12:13 Support from Friends and Family
13:01 The Importance of Patents for Inventors
14:04 The Activation Technology Invention
17:04 Getting Involved with IBM
20:09 Differences Between Australian and US Business Landscapes
25:39 Returning to Australia and Engaging with the Startup Ecosystem
30:12 The Importance of Self-Awareness for Founders
32:29 Advice for New Inventors and Founders
39:01 Conclusion and Closing Remarks