Messages in this thread | | | Date | Sat, 11 Apr 1998 00:42:40 -0700 (PDT) | From | George Bonser <> | Subject | Re: [offtopic] Re: CocaCola not really a secret |
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On Sat, 11 Apr 1998 linker@nightshade.ml.org wrote:
> > Example: In 1800 what percentage of patent holders were alive to see it > > expire and what is that percentage today? > > I guess I just dont agree with long-term patents (i.e. over two or three > years)... > > I've always been of the school of thought: 'You do something right, you > enjoy it a bit.. Then you do something differnt and hopefully better.'.. > I've always though it was best to avoide stagnation, you never know when > someone will make you obsolete.. :)
Another side of the coin is that in today's world, many patents are held by immortal beings called corporations. Where you were protecting an individual craftsman's right to make an honest living from the fruits of ingenuity, now the patent is a protection of future profits through market exclusion and licensing. I think that maybe there should be a distinction between a patent owned by an individual and a patent owned by a corporation. A corporate patent should not be renewable while an individual patent may be transferrable to an heir but renewable only by the original holder.
In other words, as long as the original inventor is alive, the patent should be allowed to stand and the remainder of the term should transfer to an heir as an asset but a corporate patent should be for a single term only and then it is fair game for the rest of the industry.
How is that for compromise?
George Bonser
If I had a catchy quip, it would be here.
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