Re: Patent junk was Re: open source.

What was the piece of technology? How much was it worth? Just because
Sony doesn't make a dual tape VCR doesn't mean they don't use (and/or
license) the piece you refer to. It could certainly be that the piece of
technology refered to applies to more than just dual tape VCRs and so
the value to Sony is greater than the value to the company trying to
license it. So, Go Video isn't willing to offer what the technology is
worth because their application of it isn't going to provide them with
enough revenue.

Regardless, you have no evidence and no credible logic which would lead
me to believe that this is the first example of getting a patent in
order to keep the technology from being used. In other words, Leif's
statement was that _most_ patents were filed with the intent of stopping
that technology from being used. This states a specific intent on the
part of the person filing the patent which is illogical and contrary to
the application of thousands (millions?) of patents in my everyday life.

It is an absurd statement that Leif obviously cannot defend in any way,
so here you are holding the bag. I don't know why you would try to grant
some credibility to this. Really, Leif could have handled the whole
matter with, "Oops, what I meant to say was..." and tried making a
statement which wasn't just some "Internet urban legend."

In the future, Leif should avoid making such irresponsible statements. A
simple method of doing this is to think out what one is saying. See if
it logically makes sense. Remember that the people making the decisions
being attributed to them are just like you, they too would think things
out. Sometimes, like you and I, other people will make mistakes or do
illogical things. But that wouldn't be the rule.

Phil wrote:

>Remember Go Video?  Back in the 1980's they had a dual tape VCR but they
>couldn't manufacture it because Sony (I think it was Sony) owned a patent to
>a piece of technology and would not sell or license it.  Whatever their
>reason, it wasn't because Sony made a dual tape VCR.
>
>Phil
>
--
Chris Rehm
javadisciple@earthlink.net
If you believe that the best technology wins the
marketplace, you haven't been paying attention.