From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Thu Jun 06 2002 - 14:36:57 MDT
Malcolm Morris wrote:
> The company as an entity exists to make money for its shareholders. When
> they play out the legal charades to delay patent expiry the executives
Yes, so by that statement, it is amoral at best and may ignore
many other quite real and important values. I think this near
definition of businesses is itself symptomatic of what is wrong.
> who form the company are only carrying out their contractual obligations
> to those shareholders.
>
That is not sufficient if the company is going to add real value
to the world and not just increase the dollars of its
shareholders. It is insufficient if the workers in said company
are going to be proud of and fulfilled in what they are doing.
It is insufficient if the company and the people in it are going
to affirm all their most important values beyond merely making a
living.
> As I see it the injustices will continue as long as the goals of the
> drug companies (and oil, tobacco, arms &c) are limited to acquiring
> money. If the corporate missions could be expanded to include some
> variant on "creating the greatest good for the greatest number" then
> licencing generics would become easier.
>
Yes! We agree.
> Unfortunately that would require not just reform of the patent and legal
> systems, but the capitalist system, and probably human nature as well -
> and that isnt happening till the singularity!
>
If it doesn't happen sooner I am not sure we will ever get to
singularity.
- samantha
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