On Mon, 2011-08-08 at 05:07 -0700, PhilDin wrote: > I don't know if this puts me in the conspiracy theorist category or > not but I always thought that the US (and the EU) were keen to issue > as many patents in as many areas as possible regardless of the damage > it does to the local economy. The longer term payoff is to get these > patents accepted and enforced worldwide with the end result that the > more established economies can live off patent royalties.
This may be true of the USPTO but it is not true elsewhere -- although the USTR would love to further pressure the EPO and others into being like the USPTO. The UKIPO has always practiced far more due diligence on claims than the USPTO seems to bother with. If you are looking for a conspiracy, investigate the way in which the USTR has amended the clauses of ACTA over time such that any signatory to ACTA will have to issue software patents in the way USPTO does. Simon Phipps has documented it all. Even people who believe in the principle of patenting software, algorithms, processes, ideas and thoughts need to view this outcome with dread. All the worst aspects of the USA system of software patents foisted on everyone. > Consider that at some stage, the manufacturing activity that is > currently outsourced to China will over time (at least in some cases) > evolve into fully self reliant organisations with their own design, > branding, distribution channels etc. with no links back to the > original outsourcer. A Chinese manufacturer might create the next big > thing and even though they confine themselves to the Chinese market, > could find themselves paying $1 to Motorola for every unit shipped > (not intending to pick on Motorola, just an arbitrary example). This > would put the US/EU in a situation similar to that of Athens who used > to use the Athenian navy to ensure that "nothing terrible" happened to > passing trading vessels. Of course, they charged for this service and > in doing so, became immensely rich at the expense of causing much > resentment towards them. I suspect the Chinese government will not care about patents just like they don't care about copyright. And as the Chinese own a large part of the USA national debt, I suspect the USA will have to do what the Chinese want them to, when they want them to. -- Russel. ============================================================================= Dr Russel Winder t: +44 20 7585 2200 voip: sip:[email protected] 41 Buckmaster Road m: +44 7770 465 077 xmpp: [email protected] London SW11 1EN, UK w: www.russel.org.uk skype: russel_winder
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