Re: [Fsfe-uk] Re: Patented videoshop opens in Wales

[Marco Schulze]

Robert Dewar wrote:

> > I'm pretty sure that there exists no law forcing the holder of a 
> patent to allow others to use it.
> There are no such laws.
> Though the government has in some cases forced the licensing of patents,
> e.g. some of the intergovernment deals on AIDS drugs, and earlier the
> Wright patents for military aviation in world war I.

Governmentally forced licensing of patents are exceptions and you better 
don't rely on them.

> > And even if there was such a law, it's still the decision of the 
> patent holders, what price they
> > demand. They can exclude everyone by adjusting the price. And 
> there's no reason why they
> > shouldn't define different prices depending on who wants to use the 
> patent...
> Differential pricing is tricky, any such scheme can easily run afoul
> of anti-trust laws. So the claim of "no reason" here is dubious.

Maybe differential pricing might end in an anti-trust-trial, but we know 
what that means: Nothing (see Microsoft).

BTW we have our own experiences with that: One of our competitors (in 
Switzerland) is offending competition laws and it took 2 years until the 
Commission of Competition found a judgement. Now, our competitor will 
lodge an appeal and it will take at least one more year until a final 
decision. One of these cases can be endured by us, maybe even two or 
three, but with patents there were so many, that we could close down our 
company! And this is only one of many bad consquences of patents.

Best regards, Marco.