On Wed, Jun 21, 2006 at 12:16:06PM -0400, David Andrews wrote: > On Wed, 2006-06-21 at 08:23 -0700, Charles Mills wrote: > > Why does IP protection (patent, copyright, TM, and trade secrets) exist? It > > is so that people can be rewarded for their creativity. > > No, you are describing a side effect, but not the objective. The U.S. > Constitution establishes patent/copyright systems: > > "to promote Progress of Science and useful Arts, > by securing for limited Times to Authors and > Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective > Writings and Discoveries" > > The *objective* was to foster innovation, NOT to reward people.
Innovation is the objective. Reward is the mechanism. Without the mechanism, the objective will not be achieved. -- Jay Maynard, K5ZC http://www.conmicro.cx http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net http://www.hercules-390.org (Yes, that's me!) Buy Hercules stuff at http://www.cafepress.com/hercules-390 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
