Charles wrote:
>Harry:
> Wrong Charles. I've never suggested abolishing the Patent Office.
> Charles Mueller
No, I did - but you should.
The power of Microsoft and many of the other monopolies rests on their
patent ownership. Get rid of patents and copyrights and the monopolies
would have to fight it out in the marketplace - and win by providing better
service than any others.
There are other protectors of monopoly, such as import tariffs and quotas,
licences, subsidies, ownership of natural resources, and so on.
However, a good place to start would be to abolish the patent office.
Then Microsoft would have to sweat for its dollars.
Harry
---------------------------------------------------------
>>HARRY: None of the problems would arise if the Patent Office were
>>abolished.
>>
>>So, that is the answer.
>>
>>And before anyone starts worrying about people not inventing
>>things without patent protection, remember Wordstar.
>>
>>Wordstar had no protection of any kind. All of us used it
>>from the moment we got our young hands on a computer. But,
>>as we got older and went to work, what did we know? Why
>>clunky old Wordstar. The offices bought the program because
>>'everyone' knew it.
>>
>>Other programmers piggy-backed their programs on the old
>>favorite and a Wordstar dynasty was born and we were all
>>pressing ^KB, ^KY, and similar horrible key combinations
>>which, however, we all knew - and often became the standard
>>key-presses for other programs.
>>
>>If my memory serves me right, some 3 million copies were
>>sold before better word processing began to arrive.
>>
>>Well, that didn't matter. Wordstar brought out its 'Wordstar
>>2000' and proceeded to make an horrendous mistake.
>>
>>It protected the new program.
>>
>>Programmers, who had helped to make Wordstar a dynasty had
>>trouble with the encryption process and turned away from it.
>>
>>As did the customers in their millions.
>>
>>After 6 months, the company removed the protection, but it
>>was too late.
>>
>>Now, if you see Wordstar it is bundled with a new machine as
>>one of the GREAT programs offered.
>>
>>The lesson should be learned. When Wordstar was free for
>>anyone to use, it prospered. Once it was protected, it went
>>down the drain.
>>
>>Let me say that we should get rid of patents and copyright
>>protection. We don't need them.
>>
>>Only downside is that Charles would be out of a job.
>>
>>A merry Christmas to everyone and a Great New Year!
>>
>>Harry
