[D-community-offtopic] Intelectual Property Law

[Chris Bannister]

[Carry on at d-community-offtopic at lists.alioth.debian.org]

On Wed, Jul 18, 2012 at 09:46:56AM -0400, Gary Dale wrote:
> On 18/07/12 08:35 AM, Chris Bannister wrote:
> >On Wed, Jul 18, 2012 at 12:21:03AM -0400, Gary Dale wrote:
> >>The original justification for patents was that the government
> >>would protect your invention for a short period if you told the
> >>world about how it works.
> >I thought that too, but ... :(
> >https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statute_of_Monopolies_1623
> >
> >Copyright and patents were never about promoting culture and
> >innovations; from the very start they were legalized bribes to give the
> >king some income and to let businesses get rid of competition.
> >
> True about copyright but not about patents in North America. The
> American patent system was originally set up with good intentions on
> the part of at least some of its backers.

Maybe It is just me, but I am extremely doubtful of the phrase "set up
with good intentions" these days. I think the phrase "originally set up
with good intentions" may be applicable to some things, like insurance.

Man's greed tends to alter things though, (insurance). Have you ever had
any honest claims turned down, or found a clause in small print which
basically says we don't payout on x. Or, if you make a claim, your
premiums will increase.

I'm waiting to see how farmers markets will be abused, ... hang on,
there is now a supermarket putting goods in a farmers market. :(

Hopefully, coops and floss don't get "stained" ;) 

-- 
"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people
who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the 
oppressing." --- Malcolm X