tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post114527532732766358..comments2024-03-26T04:21:43.535-05:00Comments on Free Association: Patents and Other PrivilegesSheldon Richmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15672237234580563637noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-1145822964635042912006-04-23T15:09:00.000-05:002006-04-23T15:09:00.000-05:00But why should an inventor have such protection? I...But why should an inventor have such protection? I disagree with your interpretation of patent history. From the time of the industrial "revolution" patent holders used their government-granted monopolies to stop competitors who wished to improve on their inventions. Innovation was stifled, not encouraged. See the history of the steam engine.Sheldon Richmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15672237234580563637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-1145821691520852632006-04-23T14:48:00.000-05:002006-04-23T14:48:00.000-05:00The whole history of patents in the United State o...The whole history of patents in the United State of America - until the advent of "intellectual property" - allowed for transparency; inventors, etc, were protected from infringement on specific inventions, ie, physical "things" while being required to make available to the "public" the design and ideas which went into the development of the "invention". It was through this process of transparency that other inventors were able to develop better, faster - and, yes, even, cheaper - alternatives. Reverse engineering is the way the industrial revolution revolutionized.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-1145317092205739382006-04-17T18:38:00.000-05:002006-04-17T18:38:00.000-05:00Goodfellow's words are reflected in the open-sourc...Goodfellow's words are reflected in the open-source movement in the software world.Sheldon Richmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15672237234580563637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-1145314096640469082006-04-17T17:48:00.000-05:002006-04-17T17:48:00.000-05:00That last Goodfellow quote is brilliant. It descr...That last Goodfellow quote is brilliant. It describes, all to accurately, the real effect that patents have on innovation. When you've got a legal deadlock on the latest technology, there's a lot less incentive to innovate for the sake of staying competitive. And when you exchange patents with a "competitor," like Westinghouse and GE did, the cartel reduces the pressure to innovate even further.Kevin Carsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07525803609000364993noreply@blogger.com