[Freesw] Re: [Patents] gouvernement 'buy up' patents or copyright

[John Tobey jtobey@john-edwin-tobey.org]

Ben Laurie <ben@algroup.co.uk> wrote:
> Kristoff Bonne wrote:
> > 
> > Greetings,
> > 
> > On Mon, 10 Jul 2000, Jean-Paul Smets wrote:
> > >> Just a thought:
> > >> In the 'old economy', society (usually the national states) has the 
> > >> right
> > >> to 'buy up' property (land) of individuals if it serves 'the greater 
> > >> good'
> > >> (e.g. to build a railway track).
> > >> This is a generally excepted principle.
> > >> So, why not extend this principle to the 'knowledge economy' and give 
> > >> the
> > >> gouvernement (at national and/or European level) the right to 'buy out'
> > > ...
> > > This is not a new idea. It is a good idea. The problem is how to name 
> > > it.
> > >       - collectivisation of public interest patents ?
> > >       - nationalisation of public interest patents ?
> > > As you see, this two terms are not so good in order to convince. I am 
> > > looking
> > > for better ones.
> > What's the correct english sentence why the state buys up a piece of land
> > where it was to build a railway-track, harbor, ....
> 
> Compulsory purchase.

Eminent domain.

http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?jump=eminent+domain :

           a right of a government to take private property for
           public use by virtue of the superior dominion of the
           sovereign power over all lands within its jurisdiction

-- 
John Tobey, late nite hacker <jtobey@john-edwin-tobey.org>
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