Subject:
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Re: KKK described latest restructuring as "last chance" for Lego in FT article
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Thu, 18 Mar 2004 16:35:22 GMT
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Viewed:
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1475 times
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Hi Dave,
"Dave Lovelace" <dave@umop.com> writes:
> In lugnet.general, Dave Schuler wrote:
>
> I've never, ever understood how TLC's patented product could be so readily
> replicated to such exacting degrees by other companies
> (always trumpeting their "compatability with LEGO!").
because patents run out after 18 years, fortunately.
> I mean, cripes...it's obvious to anyone that these clone
> companies are just reaping the benefits of the hard work
> of other people. I'm not well read about this at
> all...has TLC ever tried suing these companies, forcing
> them to shut down? How could anyone look at this
> situation and see it as anything but completely unfair?
It's not, that's how patents are supposed to work.
You get a monopoly for a certain time, and after that
it's free for everybody. So if you want to keep competition
at bay you have to invent something new in the meantime,
as LEGO has consistently done. If it weren't like this
then an invention could be held hostage forever by incompetent
or unwilling inventors and nobody would benefit from it.
Another issue is copyright, but that only comes into play
when you can freely use your creativity. It doesn't
apply to things that are necessary for the thing to work,
in particular it cannot be used to forbid compatibility.
Third is the brand, but as long as they chose other names
and logos that is fine.
> Why would the system allow TLC to be bankrupted by those
I think basically TLC is bankrupting itself ... (I hope not).
Jürgen
--
Jürgen Stuber <stuber@loria.fr>
http://www.loria.fr/~stuber/
gnupg key fingerprint = 2767 CA3C 5680 58BA 9A91 23D9 BED6 9A7A AF9E 68B4
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