Warp wrote:
> It's the same principle as paying ransom: If you pay once, they will
> ask for more.

You know, that's an assumption that's not neccesarily true.  I'm sure
there have been many instances where ransoms were paid and whatever was
being held hostage was released, perhaps more than not.

-- 
Tim Cook
http://empyrean.scifi-fantasy.com
mirror: http://personal.lig.bellsouth.net/lig/z/9/z993126

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GFA dpu- s: a?-- C++(++++) U P? L E--- W++(+++)>$
N++ o? K- w(+) O? M-(--) V? PS+(+++) PE(--) Y(--)
PGP-(--) t* 5++>+++++ X+ R* tv+ b++(+++) DI
D++(---) G(++) e*>++ h+ !r--- !y--
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Yes, I had a few electronics people get hot about a pulse width modulation
circuit I designed.  I published the schematics and a pretty liberal agreement-
if you use it personally, just give me credit.  If you want it commercially,
contact me.
    Boy, you would have thought I was trying to claim the invention of water or
something.  Some of them got very irate, even though my circuit was completely
independently designed, tested, and documented.  I even showed how to drive
different types of devices with it.  Not so with something you reverse engineer
or steal...

Cheers!

Chip Shults
My robotics, space and CGI web page - http://home.cfl.rr.com/aichip

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Philippe Lhoste wrote:

> JPEG is (was) also threatened by a patent claim. Some Japanese company 
> (Sony?) even already paid to be safe...

No, they paid because they SUPPORT patent abuse, it's their interest.
The same reason why Apple paid for Amazon's "one click" rubbish...

Fabien.

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Rohan Bernett wrote:

> Why does the patent system exist in the first place? As far as I know, it
> was invented to encourage innovation. Well, it did while the rate of
> innovation was slow in the 19th century. But now in the late 20th and early
> 21st centuries, it is destroying innovation. If governments want to
> encourage innovation (and who doesn't), they should abolish the patent
> system, permanently.

The real problem is that getting a patent on your inventions is not even
half the rent. You have to be able to defend them in the legal system,
and that is virtually impossible for a small inventor.

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Dr Engelbert Buxbaum <eng### [at] webde> wrote:
> You have to be able to defend them in the legal system,
> and that is virtually impossible for a small inventor.

  Can you explain why?

-- 
#macro N(D)#if(D>99)cylinder{M()#local D=div(D,104);M().5,2pigment{rgb M()}}
N(D)#end#end#macro M()<mod(D,13)-6mod(div(D,13)8)-3,10>#end blob{
N(11117333955)N(4254934330)N(3900569407)N(7382340)N(3358)N(970)}//  - Warp -

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Legal costs.

Cheers!

Chip Shults
My robotics, space and CGI web page - http://home.cfl.rr.com/aichip

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As Sir Charles said, costs.

A large company can afford to prolong a patent case well beyond the means of a
single individual or small company. Even a clear and obvious patent infringement
cannot be defended without a suitable legal team.

Hoover ripped off Dyson and the fight went on for years - now Dyson were by then
a large enough company to last the distance, but as an example of a simple and
obvious infringement turning into a protracted series of legal challenges it's
very depressing.


"Warp" <war### [at] tagpovrayorg> wrote in message news:3dd0fadc@news.povray.org...
> Dr Engelbert Buxbaum <eng### [at] webde> wrote:
> > You have to be able to defend them in the legal system,
> > and that is virtually impossible for a small inventor.
>
>   Can you explain why?
>
> --
> #macro N(D)#if(D>99)cylinder{M()#local D=div(D,104);M().5,2pigment{rgb M()}}
> N(D)#end#end#macro M()<mod(D,13)-6mod(div(D,13)8)-3,10>#end blob{
> N(11117333955)N(4254934330)N(3900569407)N(7382340)N(3358)N(970)}//  - Warp -

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"Tom Melly" <tom### [at] tomandlucouk> wrote in news:3dd120ea@news.povray.org:

> Hoover ripped off Dyson and the fight went on for years - now Dyson
> were by then a large enough company to last the distance, but as an
> example of a simple and obvious infringement turning into a protracted
> series of legal challenges it's very depressing.

Yes, seeing vacuum cleaner companies fight is quite depressing...

Mmm, I don't know if this pun is funny in English... That's the problem 
with making puns in a foreign language, I can get the pronunciation wrong 
("better strafe than sorry" wasn't successful...) or even the meaning 
(here?).

-- 
--=#=--=#=--=#=--=#=--=#=--=#=--=#=--=#=--=#=--
Philippe Lhoste (Paris -- France)
Professional programmer and amateur artist
http://jove.prohosting.com/~philho/

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"Philippe Lhoste" <Phi### [at] GMXnet> wrote in message
news:Xns### [at] 204213191226...
>
> Yes, seeing vacuum cleaner companies fight is quite depressing...
>

Nah - doesn't work. I'm guessing (because they're close-ish in English) that
there is some link between "vacuum" and "depressing"?

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Tom Melly <tom### [at] tomandlucouk> wrote in message
news:3dd13727@news.povray.org...
>
> Nah - doesn't work. I'm guessing (because they're close-ish in English)
that
> there is some link between "vacuum" and "depressing"?
>

Doesn't work in American, either.

 -Shay

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