Re: Copyrights and patents
[ QUOTE ]
I am confused on this, It seems that in ACLand copyrights are nonexistant, but what about patents?
[/ QUOTE ]
You are confused. You've got it backwards. Copyrights could exist because you could have contracts to not copy/distribute/whatever at purchase. With a patent, I cannot sell my invention if you've created the same thing (or close enough to it) before me, even if I've never had a contract with you or had even heard of your invention.
[ QUOTE ]
If not, doesn't that decrease the drive for a company to put money into R&D, thus leading to less innovation?
[/ QUOTE ]
On this point, I think some companies would weigh their ability to produce the product in enough of a quantity and quality to beat out possible copycats. Also, there is usually an advantage to being first to the marketplace with a good product. Individual inventors could sell their ideas to larger manufacturers or try and produce the product themselves. They may not be compensated as well as they are now, but there's no non-arbitrary amount that inventors should be compensated. I'm confident that people will still continue to invent things as evidenced by the history of inventions that have occurred without IP laws.
|