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To: CodeMonkey
Then if I own a patent on a file format I should give it away? I still don't get it. If Microsoft has a patent on a file format, then it belongs to them, not me. I'll just have to come up with something different and better. I don't have a problem with that.
186 posted on 09/17/2003 2:44:39 PM PDT by Poser
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To: Poser
Then if I own a patent on a file format I should give it away?

Yes. You have no right to "own" an idea. That "right" was created by the government, it is not something you have a natural right to. Patents are a pox on a free market. They let little vermin sue the hell out of big producers and by the same token they let monopolies and big producers sue small competitors into oblivion.

If you want true competition, abolish the patent system and most federal regulations on production. That will make the barrier to entry much lower and will encourage excellence. The problems with the BS patents like "1 click shopping" are not extreme examples. They are the natural conclusion to the idea that you can own an idea. What we are seeing now is nothing more than the true nature of "idea ownership" taken to its natural conclusion.

Americans need to get over the idea of fairness in the economy. Life isn't fair so stop trying to make it fair.

I'll just have to come up with something different and better.

Ok then smart guy, how are your users going to transfer their data from Microsoft Office to your new Office suite? Copy and paste the data and pray that it is preserved in the clipboard accurately? Your "solution" which allows Microsoft to own the file formats they use works when the amount of data is small. What about businesses that have terabytes of data to transition? Your "solution" makes it functionally impossible for them to go out and buy a cheap product that is able to take the data from their Microsoft apps and turn it into data for a new product they just bought.

187 posted on 09/17/2003 2:55:34 PM PDT by CodeMonkey
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