No Patents? No Copyrights?

Tony Shelton

Tony Shelton

BS Detector, Esquire
Here is a growing group in Europe. They want to be able to share everything freely on the internet. Getting rid of all copyrights and patents.

What kind of effect would that have? Patents and copyrights are relatively new in the world. How did we make it 6000 years without them?

How would the US change if all patents and copyrights were abolished?

To start maybe it would slow research because the financial reward can no longer be locked in for 75 years.

But, it would lower prices overall on just about everything.

In the first century a normal home for an average family cost about 2 days wages for a month's lodging. Most of the necessities of life were cheap in comparison to what today's costs are. Horses and donkeys were transportation but they didn't cost anywhere near what a car costs today in direct comparison.

Just some thoughts. What are your thoughts?

Please, no lecturing me about how this can never happen. If I had posted on here that the US government would own 74% of GM by 2009 you guys would have all thought I was nuts.

http://af.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idAFTRE55623320090607
 
I'm ok with patents, I view it as related to property and it is temporary (I thought it was 25 years). It's one of the few, well defined jobs of the gov and I think it does provide incentive. I think that information is flowing so freely on its own that it has the effect the 'no patent' idea is going for. Of course, everyone is free to not patent their ideas whenever they want. ...I think that worthless dollar may have something to do with the federal reserve....
 
The medical field is what the "No Patent" thing would probably do the best good as for helping people, good medicines cheaper but then I understand the companies trying to recoup their research costs.

Sometimes a company will do research for many years and even though the lab techs do not make much, they also have the overhead expenses too which all ads up which they will recover when their patent gets approved or the epa gives them approval.

If they did not have that kind of protection, the research might stop or really slow down because when the medicine is out, it would be copied by everyone quick and the company does not get to recoup their expenses. I don't think that it is fair to them for that. Everyone needs to make a profit but sometimes it seems to be overboard.

Without that protection, what is the incentive to keep up with the research? Maybe sell the info and who does not buy it and start making it on their own get shut down? What could they do so they make their profit and recoup their research costs?

This is a good topic, I am sure it will get some debate on both sides.
 
I know a story about a way that fuel is atomized that was patented 24 years ago and was bought by..............EXXON. Who sat on it for 19 years then sold just the rights to it to Bosch, who then developed it and sold the development rights to MERCEDES who then build the diesel engine for the Dodoge sprinter.
Basicly the oil company stifled a great idea then made a bunch of money off it at yours and mine's expense.
 
That is a shame.

Something similar about a revolutionary car battery for those electric cars happened. Supposedly it ended up being owned by a big oil company.

What a shame.
 
Tony Shelton said:
Here is a growing group in Europe. They want to be able to share everything freely on the internet. Getting rid of all copyrights and patents.

What kind of effect would that have? Patents and copyrights are relatively new in the world. How did we make it 6000 years without them?

How would the US change if all patents and copyrights were abolished?

To start maybe it would slow research because the financial reward can no longer be locked in for 75 years.

But, it would lower prices overall on just about everything.

In the first century a normal home for an average family cost about 2 days wages for a month's lodging. Most of the necessities of life were cheap in comparison to what today's costs are. Horses and donkeys were transportation but they didn't cost anywhere near what a car costs today in direct comparison.

Just some thoughts. What are your thoughts?

Please, no lecturing me about how this can never happen. If I had posted on here that the US government would own 74% of GM by 2009 you guys would have all thought I was nuts.

http://af.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idAFTRE55623320090607
Click to expand...

Interesting thought ?
In Asian Culture, it is considered an honor to be copied :confused:

If you look at the drug industry, it is all a bunch of figuring ways around a patent.
But why spend millions developing drugs, only to have them copied w/o protection ?
Of course, when you divulge the patent, you tell everyone how to make it !
 
Great thoughts, especially in the medical field, but lets look at a few things. I thought it was 17 years (so none of us are really sure) on a patent on medicine. However, the pharms work it so they can stretch it out. As far as recouping "their" dollars, the reality is the MAJORITY of dollars that go into research of medicine comes from the good ole' USA government, of which most of it is NEVER repaid. So, while the theory has persisted forever that allowing a quicker route for generics would stifle R&D, and that the pharms deserve to recoup their vast investment, its just not true.

I think opening up patents broadly is bad idea in general. The majority of patents are issued to the "little guy", and I think they deserve the chance to become a "big guy", and protection is the only way to achieve it.
 
How about 5 years on a patent and 3 years on copyright?

I don't know if you guys are aware of this, but here's how a patent works. (At least in my experience)
It costs at least 5 grand (took us 15 grand) to get it done and it takes between a year and three years generally. After the fourth year, eighth year and 12th year you have to pay something like a renewal fee. I don't know how much the other two our company had, but one of them cost over $500 the 4th year and $1200 the 8th. I was no longer with the group by the 12th year so I don't know how much that one was. I don't know if the fees just went up or if that is just how it is.

Meanwhile another company (large) copied the product almost exactly and placed it on the shelves within a foot of ours (at walmart) and then dared us to sue.

There was no point. It would take years to sue. The big company won. The little guy who invented it got screwed.

I just don't see any REAL use in it anymore.
 
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