Yes, the world is at Nash Equilibrium, the payout matrix resembles a prisoner's dillema. The optimal strategy/payoff scenario for the individiual is to be as paranoid and distrustful as possible. Litigation, and more litigation. Hmm, guess who's really benefiting from all this. Americans can not only distrust the Chinese, they can't even trust their neighbors, friends, their family members. What a sad fucking place this is. I wonder where this started.. Surely it didn't come from within.
The patent system isn't perfect. Suppose someone develops something and patents it. Fine, anyone who wants to use their invention must pay for it. But let's say that someone else develops the same thing without knowing that it had been developed previously. They are going to have to pay, even though they came up with the idea on their own. That kinda sucks. And it does hurt innovation at least a little bit. Some money that would have been spent on innovating is now spent on litigating and paying royalties.
That's what it says on page 135 in Econ 102 or US History. Actually, war, taxation and slavery in it's various forms is how the USA came to be. So actualy you are correct as patents is a form of taxation to the common man.
Patents try to strike a balance between the interest of the inventor and general public. Typical a patent is valid for 17 years. I can't say whether this is fair or not. On the other hand, copyright can be effective up to 120 years. Now, I do think that it is not quite balance to have exclusive right on a song 10 times longer than a semiconductor patent. As for the thread starter counting everything invented since the dawn of time, I might as well claim my ancestor invented fire and ask you to pay me. Bottomline, if you want to pick on patents, I will pick on copyright first. Also, you "Tracy McGreedy" seems get ticked off with every single criticism on China and ticked off about it. The way you respond is just making us look bad. So, quite the whining.
I dislike the Chinese, but for other reasons. China is just a method to my madness. I'm striking on something entirely different, something much bigger, how badly people here in the states are so brainwashed from the truth. Nation full of insulated hypocrites.
I have significant holdings in a company with a lot of patents (the company has the same name as my username). Although I do think there are problems with the patent system, I don't believe significant changes will happen anytime soon, and therefore I am willing to take advantage of the system the way it is.
From your messages, you dislike a lot of things. Anyway, I totally don't mind you steering people to see the truth, but being so negative is just not good to your cause. Anyway, just a suggestion. No harm, no foul...
he Progress Clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 8) of the U.S. Constitution provides that: "Congress shall have the power... To promote the 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 current patent system is a bastardized protectionist scheme. It actually stifles innovation on a large scale at this point because it is used as a weapon. It favors those with large legal departments rather than the intellectual prowess to compete.
The Progress Clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 8) of the U.S. Constitution provides that: "Congress shall have the power... To promote the 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 current patent system is a bastardized protectionist scheme. It actually stifles innovation on a large scale at this point because it is used as a weapon. It favors those with large legal departments rather than the intellectual prowess to compete.