Carbon dioxide/oxygen cycle

I've heard someone got given my old idea to create a compound cycle that converts carbon dioxide back to oxygen and carbon. I've heard he's patented my idea, I'd like the world at very least to argue that off planet it is free to own. I think it is wrong to have to pay to breathe in space. Its bad for space economy (which I'm trying to stimulate), which will become more and more important over the next few years. Damion