[ExI] Problem with Pattents

[ablainey at aol.com]

On Fri, Feb 22, 2008 at 2:11 PM, Kaj Sotala <xuenay at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 2/22/08, ABlainey at aol.com <ABlainey at aol.com> wrote:
>  > I have been thinking recently about patents and whether they are
>  > fundamentally wrong. As an inventor I have no problem with people getting
>
>  I don't know about "fundamentally wrong", but they do slow down
>  innovation.

Or they do accelerate it, depending on the circumstances. Three
centuries of economic and legal studies on the rationale and
optimality of IP systems cannot seriously be liquidated in a few,
albeit ideologically inspired, lines.

The dramatic effects of even slightly different patent systems is a
very empirical issue, with no quick-and-easy answers, at least unless
one decides to take shortcuts such as the choice of implementing a
centrally-controlled economic system.

Stefano Vaj


 

I can't see how introducing a barrier or set of hoops can accelerate it. If you mean that two inventors working on the same problem rush in order to beat each other to the clerks office, then this would be no different from them rushing to market. Only they would have extra work in order to secure a patent before going to market. This can take a long time, time which could increase as more inventions are registered and need to be checked against any new inventions.
I would be interested if you have any links to support patents speeding innovation. And I agree that IP systems cannot be reduced with just a quick bit of banter. If they could, I wouldn't have posted.

Alex 


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