[Patents] No point in everybody agreeing in a discussion

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

On Mon, Apr 02, 2001 at 09:01:28AM +0200, Ram'on Garc'ia Fern'andez wrote:
> On the other hand, the reason why the US has not been able to fix
> their patent system can be simply that it is not in their
> interest. Although trivial patents generate monopolies, they are US
> monopolies that protect them against the importing of European or
> Japanese goods.

Agreed.  Then maybe the thing to do is institute retribution.  US
companies whose software patents are used to exact royalties from
European companies in the US must pay a tax in order to operate in 
Europe.  Companies whose software patents are used to exclude
competition from European companies should not be allowed to operate
in Europe.

Of course, such a step would start a trade war and should not be taken
lightly, but the alternative is to buckle under unreasonable US
pressure as Europe has done many times before, thereby inviting
further abuse.

Europe should not put too much stock in treaties that it has signed
with the US.  Certainly, the US has never honored a treaty in a way
that hurt the interests of its ruling class.

-John