Galt's Gulch

Do Patents Really Promote Innovation? A Response To The Economist

Posted by dbhalling 9 years, 2 months ago to Economics
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It is time for the anti-patent crowd to admit that they have no evidence for their position and they are nothing more than a religious faith against patents
SOURCE URL: http://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallphelps/2015/09/16/do-patents-really-promote-innovation-a-response-to-the-economist/

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  • Posted by Mamaemma 9 years, 2 months ago
    So someone has to actually state that inventors are driven primarily by their expectation of profit. We have to actually say this? I mean, the sky is blue; rain gets you wet if you stand in it. It's depressing that this fact is presented; it tells me there are people out there who actually don't want to see reality. Or are they that stupid?
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    • Posted by dbhalling 9 years, 2 months ago
      Yes and there is a whole group in economics that denies this. They go by the banner of exogenous growth theory. It sort of a hippie idea that people create for the pure joy of it.
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      • Posted by Mamaemma 9 years, 2 months ago
        This reminds me of the statement Picard made in First Contact; something to the effect that people in his century no longer work for money, that they have higher goals. I remember thinking what crap that was.
        I can believe that creating something is joyful, and something that can be patented is by definition a unique creation of someone's mind. I also can buy in to the idea that being of use and value is important to a person. I feel that I have earned my place on this earth by being a productive person.
        But........of equal importance is money. I, for one, LOVE the money I have earned. I LOVE what it buys, and it brings me joy. Producing something without earning value would be pointless and anti-life.
        So the people who say one should create just for the joy of it- that's bull. I don't think they believe that. It's just another path to looting and mooching.
        Well, db and k, you sure made me think about this!
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        • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
          Yes but you just personified the complete correct quote. It's the love of money that is the root of all evil. What you intend is owning what you produce., people who say one should create for joy are first in line at National Endowment for the Arts but creativity and being paid for it are the ultimate in value. You make your cake and get to eat it!
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    • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
      Well let's draw a comparison. Does Barbra like to get paid for her artistic ability? Do Rosy and Whoopie like to get paid for their lack of ability? The list is endless until you run into those the left consider in a different light. No one invented anything. It was the result of a mass collective effort no one needs that much money. Best thing is to take the invention elsewhere before it gets classified and stolen by the government.
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  • Posted by Lucky 9 years, 2 months ago
    That is a good paper, Marshall Phelps in Forbes, thanks db.
    My agreement with the paper may be stronger than yours, re the point about the “parasitic ecology of trolls'.
    I am of the opinion that invention/innovation can come from motives other than financial gain, but this is 'the exception that proves the rule'. Yes it would be a sort of religious belief that says nothing good can come out of self interest. I am sure good can arise from compulsion and altruism, but for broad strong progress self interest is easily tops.
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
    On the other hand if you want to make real money you take your innovations offshore instead of giving it them for free courtesy of the Patent Office.
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    • Posted by Slytherin 9 years, 2 months ago
      Can you explain the offshore bit more? I have a few creations in my head but I worry about patent trolls and copy cats. What makes it better outside the US?
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      • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 9 years, 2 months ago
        It may not. What it does is remove the ability of the of the patent office to share the whatever with whomever else during the patent process and block the chance of a copy cat getting preferential treatment or a head start.

        It's just another way of turning off the motor of the world. A really good idea if it's not financially imperative to one's needs can sit in the weeds and junk if the Twentieth Century Motor Company and still be a good idea with 'consent withdrawn' applied to the moochers.

        I have no idea how safe it would be elsewhere but I have sold int'l copy rights to off shore meaning the whole world buyer so if it's not safe from internal or external predators then why not cut to the chase ....take the money, park it and be better prepared for expat duty.
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      • Posted by dbhalling 9 years, 2 months ago
        If you do your due diligence there is no reason to worry about patent assertion entities any more than any irrational competitor.

        Unfortunately, the US patent laws changed and we now publish patent applications 18 months after they are filed for the whole world to see. This and other changes in US law have significantly decreased the value of creating a high tech startup in the US. That said if you are going to obtain patent protection in any country in the world the US is still probably the most important place in the world to do so.

        Other places to look at doing a start up include Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore area. Also the Isle of Man is actively attracting startups in bit coin and related areas.
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