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Ben Klemens
open-in-new
<h2 id="statistical-computing">Statistical computing</h2> <p>In the realm of <a href="/facts/Statistical_computing/noW2SBX8">statistical computing</a>, Klemens has done extensive work on statistical analysis for large data sets and non-traditional models such as <a href="/facts/Agent-based_model/C3C1vR8s">agent-based models</a>. He developed an innovative library of statistics functions for <a href="/facts/C_(programming_language)/Ky2No763">C</a>, named Apophenia,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> and has written a textbook on statistical computing, <i>Modeling with Data</i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="software-patent-policy">Software patent policy</h2> <p>Klemens has also worked on the policy aspects of computing, and in particular the issue of <a href="/facts/Software_patents/wI6RrYh3">software patents</a>. He has argued in a book entitled <i>Math You Can't Use</i> (<a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 0815749422) and a law review article<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> that intangibles such as computer code and mathematics should not be patentable subject matter.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p><p>Klemens was previously the executive director of End Software Patents, an advocacy group that has lobbied to eliminating software patents and has organized around the <a href="/facts/In_re_Bilski/0AvWSlpu">Bilski v. Kappos</a> case that was decided by the Supreme Court in 2010.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> He is a featured expert in the documentary <i>Patent Absurdity: How Software Patents Broke the System</i> (2010).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> His writings on the subject have appeared in the op-ed sections of <i><a href="/facts/The_Wall_Street_Journal/9Pkf2cYK">The Wall Street Journal</a></i>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Ars_Technica/zvnX7pnh">Ars Technica</a>,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> and <i><a href="/facts/The_Washington_Post/dRvzvqJc">The Washington Post</a></i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> He has occasionally commented on broader issues of technology policy and <a href="/facts/Patent_law/LjT2bG3A">patent law</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://ben.klemens.org/">Official website</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Pod, Paper, Scissors https://podpaperscissors.com/. Retrieved July 29, 2020. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) <a href="https://podpaperscissors.com/" target="_blank">https://podpaperscissors.com/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Klemens, Ryan Nunn, Laura Kawano, and Ben (February 22, 2018). "Unemployment insurance and worker mobility". Brookings. Retrieved February 8, 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/research/unemployment-insurance-and-worker-mobility/" target="_blank">https://www.brookings.edu/research/unemployment-insurance-and-worker-mobility/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Ben Klemens". Brookings.edu. Brookings Institution. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182037/http://www.brookings.edu/experts/k/klemensb.aspx" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20160303182037/http://www.brookings.edu/experts/k/klemensb.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>policies, CEP council on economic. "Contributor - Council on Economic Policies". Council on Economic Policies. Retrieved June 17, 2018. <a href="https://www.cepweb.org/author/ben-klemens/" target="_blank">https://www.cepweb.org/author/ben-klemens/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Spiro, Amy (February 6, 2019). "Falafel emoji on its way to your phone - OMG - Jerusalem Post". www.jpost.com. Retrieved February 8, 2019. <a href="https://www.jpost.com/OMG/Falafel-emoji-on-its-way-to-your-phone-579836" target="_blank">https://www.jpost.com/OMG/Falafel-emoji-on-its-way-to-your-phone-579836</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Klemens, Ben (April 4, 2018). "Proposal to Add Emoji Symbol for Falafel to Unicode" (PDF). Unicode.org. Retrieved February 6, 2019. <a href="https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2018/18125-falafel-emoji.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2018/18125-falafel-emoji.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Judkins, Maura (February 7, 2019). "Why does the new falafel emoji look like potatoes?". Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2019. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2019/02/07/why-does-the-new-falafel-emoji-look-like-potatoes/" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2019/02/07/why-does-the-new-falafel-emoji-look-like-potatoes/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Apophenia". Free Software Directory. Free Software Foundation. Retrieved April 28, 2015. <a href="https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Apophenia#tab=Details" target="_blank">https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Apophenia#tab=Details</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Klemens, Ben (February 17, 2008). "U.S. expanding the law – domestic and foreign – to benefit corporations". SFGate.com. Retrieved April 28, 2015. <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/17/EDR1V0LCD.DTL" target="_blank">http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/17/EDR1V0LCD.DTL</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Klemens, Ben (2008). "The Rise of the Information Processing Patent" (PDF). Journal of Science & Technology Law. 14 (1). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 20, 2009. Retrieved April 28, 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090320004826/http://www.bu.edu/law/central/jd/organizations/journals/scitech/volume141/documents/Klemens.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20090320004826/http://www.bu.edu/law/central/jd/organizations/journals/scitech/volume141/documents/Klemens.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Klemens, Ben (January 14, 2006). "Math You Can't Use, Ch. 6". Groklaw. Retrieved April 28, 2015. <a href="http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20060111223959235" target="_blank">http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20060111223959235</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Ben Klemens on software patents". End Soft Patents. Retrieved April 28, 2015. <a href="https://en.swpat.org/wiki/Ben_Klemens_on_software_patents" target="_blank">https://en.swpat.org/wiki/Ben_Klemens_on_software_patents</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"Bilski v. Kappos (2010, USA)". End Soft Patents. Retrieved April 28, 2015. <a href="https://en.swpat.org/wiki/Bilski_v._Kappos_%282010,_USA%29" target="_blank">https://en.swpat.org/wiki/Bilski_v._Kappos_%282010,_USA%29</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"Patent Absurdity: How Software Patents Broke the System". PatentAbsurdity.com. Retrieved April 28, 2015. <a href="http://patentabsurdity.com/" target="_blank">http://patentabsurdity.com/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Klemens, Ben (March 25, 2006). "The Gravity of the U.S. Patent Swindle". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved February 8, 2019. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB114325217495908172" target="_blank">https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB114325217495908172</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Klemens, Ben (January 10, 2019). "Software patents poised to make a comeback under new patent office rules". Ars Technica. Retrieved February 8, 2019. <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/01/software-patents-poised-to-make-a-comeback-under-new-patent-office-rules/" target="_blank">https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2019/01/software-patents-poised-to-make-a-comeback-under-new-patent-office-rules/</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Tashea, Jason. "Are software patents about to make a comeback? Revised guidance may do just that". ABA Journal. Retrieved February 8, 2019. <a href="http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/are-software-patents-about-to-make-a-comeback-uspto-proposes-rule-change-that-may-do-just-that/" target="_blank">http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/are-software-patents-about-to-make-a-comeback-uspto-proposes-rule-change-that-may-do-just-that/</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Klemens, Ben (August 25, 2006). "U.S. Patent Imperialism Hurts American Interests". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 28, 2015. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/24/AR2006082401326.html" target="_blank">https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/24/AR2006082401326.html</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>Palmer, Helen (July 3, 2007). "$1 million to rat out your company!". Marketplace. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2015. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110927143712/http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/07/03/1_million_to_rat_out_your_company/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20110927143712/http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/07/03/1_million_to_rat_out_your_company/</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>