File puptcrit/puptcrit.0810, message 127


Date: Tue, 7 Oct 2008 17:30:12 -0400
From: "Hobey Ford" <hobeyone-AT-gmail.com>
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Patent Infringement


Sounds like she did a lot better than me.

On Tue, Oct 7, 2008 at 3:57 PM, jon green <puppen-AT-mac.com> wrote:

> I think the problem is that we expect our intellectual property laws
> to be "fair".  They never have been.  As you point out throughout
> much of the nineteenth century and early 20th century US patent laws
> protected US interests- particularly when those interests were
> violating European patent laws.   Thomas Edison was the master of
> this to his favor.
>
> The classic example of our hair brained intellectual property laws is
> the song "Happy Birthday to You". The tune dates from the late 19th
> century, the lyrics from 1912 or before, but because nobody else had
> copyrighted the song, some smart cookie was allowed to copyright it
> in 1935.  It does not go into public domain until 2030, assuming
> copyright protections are not extended.
>
> I think the Hazelle patent on the airplane control happened in the
> same way.  As there was no patent prior to the Hazelle application,
> one was granted.  T
>
> This has got even worse in recent years.  I cannot understand why
> museums can get copyright and trademark protection on antiquities and
> art hundreds if not thousand of years old.  At one point, owners of
> the Empire State building tried to argue that they deserved a
> licensing fee every time the NY skyline appeared in a movie, TV show,
> magazine or other media.  There actually were a few films that
> digitally removed the Empire State building from the skyline to be safe.
>
> And, don't get me started on being able to patent genes and DNA.
>
> One of my favorite memories of college was a playwriting course.
> There was a young man who was obviously very talented, but basically
> turned in crap.  The teacher called him on it.  He said, "everything
> I write in this course becomes the property of the university; so, I
> am writing crap until I graduate."
>
> Jon
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