http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/08/technology/patent-wars-among-tech-giants-can-stifle-competition.html?hp&_r=0
This article brings up a serious problem within our own government and judicial system: the use of lawsuits as a means to bankrupt an organization. Bigger, wealthier companies (as in this article), sue smaller companies over patent infringement. Despite the outcome of the lawsuit, the smaller companies are forced into bankruptcy because they expend all of the money to defend them selves. This way of uses patents as a weapon decreases the amount of companies in business, forcing innovations to come from fewer sources. The market then has to rely on products produced by one or two companies instead of having a choice between many. This unjust use of patents needs to stop because it is stunting american growth. To fix this I propose that the government instate laws that require them (the government) to make an investigation of the companies to determine whether the suer has reliable evidence before they lawsuit begins. The government would only be required to do this on lawsuits of above a certain amount of money and involving patents. Hopefully this would deter companies from uses patents as a weapon.
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This article is a great example of how the American middle class are being victimized by these big companies. These families need the wealth that is taken away from them by those who don't need to get any richer. It is interesting how in the fight between Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren, this idea is brought up several times. Elizabeth Warren is said to be against this yet there is one of her previous cases where she was found working for a big and wealthy industry victimizing many middle class american citizens. This injustice is most certainly not going to kick this economy into gear and is certainly not putting the american people in a happy state.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article, and in more ways than one. This story is told from the smaller companys point of view, and personally, I'm inclined to agree with all the comments said here. However, this story seems very one-sided. It would be interesting to see an article about this from the bigger company's point of view. In English class this year, we learned about the danger of single stories, and why they are problematic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg
ReplyDeleteMaybe this big company feels that they were cheated, and that by their laws, they should've won that patent.