Answers.Body: <p><strong>Can you use them commercially?</strong></p>
  
  <p>Yes. </p>
  
  <p><strong>Is Google able to sue you any time they want?</strong></p>
  
  <p>Yes. </p>
  
  <p><strong>Will they do that...</strong></p>
  
  <p>Probably not. </p>
  
  <p>Google isn't a known patent bully, I would give them the benefit of the doubt in this kind of situation and say, unless you start really giving them real trouble, they wouldn't do anything. Some companies/people know an idea can really be used for good and patent it to protect its use not to inhibit its use. By patenting the idea and setting a precedent of not suing they are effectively allowing everyone to benefit. Maybe in the future Google cloud, Azure and Amazon web services will lose some money in a legal battle, but I doubt you personally will be hit with a lawsuit.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-18T08:27:24.113Z
Answers.Text: As a small note: in the unlikely case that you do develop software based on this patent that _directly competes_ with Google, and even in such a way that it threatens their revenue, they will find any and all possible ways to shut you down - including patent infringement (as is their right). I agree that you should just use it, but keep it in the back of your head that they still _can_ sue if they want.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Bram Vanroy
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2019-11-17T04:00:20.790Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2019-11-18T12:00:50.870Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2019-11-18T12:00:50.870Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Michael Hearn
Body: <p>I just find that Google patents some of the widely used machine learning algorithms. For example:</p>
  <ul>
  <li><a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US9406017B2/en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">System and method for addressing overfitting in a neural network</a> (Dropout?)</li>
  <li><a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US9715642B2/en" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Processing images using deep neural networks</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/US20150100530" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Methods and apparatus for reinforcement learning</a> (Q-Learning?)</li>
  </ul>
  <p>Does that mean I can't use those algorithms commercially?</p>
  
Tags: <neural-networks><q-learning><dropout><google><legal>
Title: Can Google's patented ML algorithms be used commercially?
UserDisplayName: malioboro
ThreadText: # Can Google's patented ML algorithms be used commercially?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2019-11-17)
  
  I just find that Google patents some of the widely used machine learning algorithms. For example:
  
  * [System and method for addressing overfitting in a neural network](https://patents.google.com/patent/US9406017B2/en) (Dropout?)
  * [Processing images using deep neural networks](https://patents.google.com/patent/US9715642B2/en)
  * [Methods and apparatus for reinforcement learning](https://patents.google.com/patent/US20150100530) (Q-Learning?)
  
  Does that mean I can't use those algorithms commercially?
  
  **Tags:** neural-networks, q-learning, dropout, google, legal
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2019-11-17. Score: 1 | Accepted answer
  
  **Can you use them commercially?**
  
  Yes.
  
  **Is Google able to sue you any time they want?**
  
  Yes.
  
  **Will they do that...**
  
  Probably not.
  
  Google isn't a known patent bully, I would give them the benefit of the doubt in this kind of situation and say, unless you start really giving them real trouble, they wouldn't do anything. Some companies/people know an idea can really be used for good and patent it to protect its use not to inhibit its use. By patenting the idea and setting a precedent of not suing they are effectively allowing everyone to benefit. Maybe in the future Google cloud, Azure and Amazon web services will lose some money in a legal battle, but I doubt you personally will be hit with a lawsuit.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: As a small note: in the unlikely case that you do develop software based on this patent that _directly competes_ with Google, and even in such a way that it threatens their revenue, they will find any and all possible ways to shut you down - including patent infringement (as is their right). I agree that you should just use it, but keep it in the back of your head that they still _can_ sue if they want.  
  
  ---
  
  