From: Michael S. Lorrey (retroman@turbont.net)
Date: Mon Mar 13 2000 - 18:39:04 MST
James Wetterau wrote:
>
> James Swayze says:
> > Timothy Bates wrote:
> > >
> > > As a disbeliever in patents, this article warmed my heart,
> > > http://www.around.com/patent.html
> >
> > As a hopeful inventor can someone explain to me why patents are
> > considered bad?
> > In a free capitalist society shouldn't an individual profit from
> > their hard won
> > intellectual efforts?
>
> No. In a free capitalist society, people should profit from the free
> exchange of goods or services with other individuals, or any other
> freely entered profitable contract or dealing. By contrast, if you
> obtain a patent, you prevent me, via a state granted monopoly on a
> particular implementation of an idea, from using my own intelligence,
> labor and industry to similarly profit.
The problem is that it is pretty difficult for the second guy to prove
he never had any input from the first. Any moron can look at an
invention and smack their head, saying, oh yeah I see how that works. If
they go and start making their own without ever having actually bought
the original device from the original inventor, are they really an
inventor, or just a cheap shallow crook with no consideration for
others?
>
> This is coercive, oppressive and destructive, as well as against
> liberty.
Sounds like the anarcho-socialist argument against property. I'm having
fun with those bozos right now on alt.anarchy. They don't understand
that I've painted them into a paradox. They either have to acknowledge
property rights or admit that they beleive that individuals are slaves
to the group.
>
> > Is intellectual property worth less because it springs
> > sometimes so easily from the creative mind? ...
>
> No, make all the profits you want off your legitimate intellectual
> property. (Hint -- if your so-called property derives from a grant
> from the government, its legitimacy is highly questionable. In this
> case, it's a government hand out.) I make profits from my
> intellectual property -- I write computer programs, and help people
> integrate other peoples' software into their systems. These profits
> do not depend on coercing others into not doing likewise. That's a
> bullies' game, not fit for free women and men.
>
However patent protection makes sure that EVERY user of your invention
pays his fair share, which is not the case currently with software,
where you have between 20-50% piracy rates. Those who pay for software
licenses wind up paying for the pirates, feel gyped, and are more likely
to commit piracy themselves as a result. They know they are getting
shafted, but not by who they think they are...
Mike Lorrey
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