Re: Gates Patents Flipping a Light Switch

[Barry Margolin]

In article <c85t6j$j2v$1@blue.rahul.net>,
 c.c.eiftj@GatesXPate.usenet.us.com (Rahul Dhesi) wrote:

> Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu> writes:
> 
> >In article <slrncac935.m82.zen19725@cabalamat.cabalamat.org>,
> > zen19725@zen.co.uk (phil hunt) wrote:
> 
> >> On Fri, 14 May 2004 16:45:21 -0400, Barry Margolin <barmar@alum.mit.edu> 
> >> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >No, I didn't overlook it.  My point is that without patents, even these 
> >> >rare wins would be virtually impossible.  Patents are one of the few 
> >> >weapons a small player can wield against a behemoth like Microsoft.
> ...
> >Of course it helps Microsoft.  It helps *everyone* -- big guys and 
> >little guys.
> 
> First it's a weapon that Stac wields against Microsoft.  Then, a couple
> of sentences later, the lawsuit helped Microsoft.  Then, in the next
> sentence, it helped everyone.
> 
> And all these inconsistent and random assertions are offered without any
> proof whatsoever.

I didn't say *that* lawsuit helped Microsoft.  I said that the patent 
system helps Microsoft, but it also helps the little guys so they can 
sue Microsoft.

Are you expecting the laws to be applied differently for different 
companies?  Patents are something that anyone can take advantage of.  
Little guys can use them to keep big guys from walking all over them.  
Big guys use them as a way to stay big.

-- 
Barry Margolin, barmar@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
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