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Story: Gates: Restricting IP rights is tantamount to communism
Posted by: Kevin Peacock (Friday 14 January 2005, 8:45 AM)
A good reply Arthur.
Brent, I said "Why invent a better mousetrap when you hold the patent and your customers have no choice but to buy the one you choose to sell? Your competitors are legally prevented from selling a superior mousetrap."
You basically haven't answered that question, as you seem to misunderstand the end result of software patents & intellectual property. It isn't just specific inventions that can be protected (which would be fair), but 'concepts' and 'methods'. These are entirely nebulous, and far more insidious.
You say of a potential competitor "he must invent a better mousetrap to earn money". How? Under the regime Gates would like to see in place, the whole idea of a mousetrap belongs to MS. MS may have a trap that only captures 10% of mice. I could invent a mousetrap that captured 50% of mice in half the time. But because MS own the patent to "method of capturing mice" I would be unable to sell such a mousetrap. MS would have no incentive to innovate and create an even better mousetrap. Why would they? Superior versions are effectively forbidden.
Intellectual Property rights extended into the new areas that Gates want will greatly hamper innovation and result in far less effective goods & services for consumers.
Full Talkback thread
Story: Gates: Restricting IP rights is tantamount to communism
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The magic word "communism" always seems to be used... Arthur B. -
Are we suddenly back in the 1950s? Perhaps Mr... Chris Rankin -
I agree with Arthur B.
Mr Gates should read... Micheal H
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Gates is precisely correct: communism operat... Brent Roberts
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Confusion between IP rights and copyrigh... Steve B -
Brent Roberts is wrong.
"Gates is precis... Kevin Peacock
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There can be so such 'rights' which... Brent Roberts -
Brent. Sigh. Communism has not... Arthur B.
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If a requisite of "skills, kno... Brent Roberts
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Brent. I would like to recomme... Arthur B.
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An interesting debate Brent, b... Kevin Peacock
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Lets stick with the mousetrap... Brent Roberts
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A good reply Arthur.
Brent, I... Kevin Peacock -
Hi Brent, what OO version are you using... ricardo mardisich
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Ricardo – I'm using version 1.1.1.... Brent Roberts
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Oh bugger off, the world's a better place with win... samuel
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Samuel,
Replying to you in the same vein as y... Andy
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Not much ammunition left for Mr Gates.
I... Anonymous
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The world Mr Gates wants to see has far more in co... Kevin Peacock
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I see he's had to resort to name-calling again.
So... Steve J
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World is much worse off thanks to MS and IBM... Steve B
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I think that Gates is unwanted and unnee... NJ
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Kevin. Well said. Very well said.
B... Arthur B.
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"Its eyes ever set on the competition, Microsoft w... Ricardo Mardisich
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Microsoft Litigation Resource Page
"the world... ricardo mardisich
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Ricardo, thanks for your comment. We wou... Matt Loney
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Beside the fact that this is nothing more than FUD... BURNAND Patrick
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I find Bill Gates comments on mesh networking inte... Andy Coney
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In a similar discussion on IP rights on a dif... Mark Jones
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Anonymous
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