[opendtv] Re: Definition of Greed
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2008 06:37:37 -0400
At 8:57 PM -0700 4/2/08, John Willkie wrote:
Isn't an "inventor" one who possesses or seeks to posses a patent?
Isn't that a deed that permits one to extract "monopoly rents?"
No.
The whole purpose of patents "was" to publish the details of
inventions so that society as a whole could benefit from the rapid
proliferation of the technology. The whole point was NOT to restrict
access or to charge monopoly rents, but to give the inventor fair
compensation for the invention in exchange for a period of
exclusivity.
That being said, the intent of patents and the reality have turned
into different things. We now see non-inventors, typically lawyers,
buying and litigating patents for profit - I'm not certain GREED is
the correct term for this...
I prefer sleazy.
It could be argued that much of the most valuable intellectual
property is found in trade secrets, not patents. IN this case the
companies ARE hoarding the technology for profit. Again, this may not
be greed, but rather the desire to prevent others from using and/or
profiting from an invention.
So there is nothing greedy about patents.
Regards
Craig
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