Hi Keith, Patents, of course, represent intellectual property that gives the patent holder a protected proprietary postion, enabling the patent holders to attract the large amount of venture capital money that are typically required to enter the market in a big way. Without patents, most venture capitalists won't invest; they want to see a protected proprietary position. So far as I know that protection can only be protected by a deliberate policy of secrecy, or by patents. Most big business in the U. S, I feel safe in saying, base their businesses upon the proprietary protection that patents will provide, at least in the startup phase. Without patents, anyone who becomes aware of the new technology can use it for their own purposes; there is no proprietary protection.
Under these conditions, assuming a potential competitor wants to use the patented technology, and wants to avoid the legal hassles of being prosecuted for patent violation, their alternative would be to invent around the patent. In so doing, as I use the term, they would develop new technology with sufficient additional claims to be recognized by the patent office as being eligible for a new patent. As you know, there are other alternatives. If a company wanting to use someone]s patented technology without obtaining permission, they can do so, and just say "sue me." Or, without obtaining a patent, an individual can enter the market in a big enough way as to overwhelm any potential competitor. Assuming, however, we are talking of a technology, like I presume producing biodiesel by a process that is already in the public domain, -- nothing, I suppose, but government regulations can stop you. Right? But, if you develop some new, proprietary, technology, to produce biodiesel, how would you propose to keep some large company from swiping it, except by patenting it? Regards, Glenn [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Sell a Home for Top $ http://us.click.yahoo.com/RrPZMC/jTmEAA/MVfIAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://archive.nnytech.net/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
