Digital BW, The Print

Wendel White wrote:

>So, is the opposite true? If a small entrepreneur develops a unique product,
>we should defend the large companies that want to infringe on the patent?
>
>  
>
Wendel,

Read the NY Times piece.. The former case is much moree common these days.

Let me use a particular example from art and technology. Rob Silvers 
makes photomosaics.  He has patented the technology HE uses BUT also 
uses trademark to prevent anyone else from using different algortihms to 
achieve similar visual effects. He does so by trademarking the "look and 
feeL' of the final imagery.  He thereby uses his money and leverages his 
pre-eminent market position into a legalized monopoly.

Let's assume EPSON were to integrate their logo into the chip design, 
and only chips that incorporate an electronic version of the logo would 
be allowed to work in a printer.  Thren, EPSON could arguably say that 
any 3rd party provider of such chips was violating BOTH Trademark and 
Patent..  Surely, that would be a ridiculous outcome.  Using the EPSON 
logo as an authorization key of sorts is usrely not technologically 
innovative, but might be legally innovative.  Patent is meant to protect 
technologically innovative property, not ALL intellectual property the 
level of innovation/differenc theoretically necessary to sustin a patent 
is significantly greater than that necessary  to establish copyright.   
Don't let the sycophantic luddites who mindlessly accept EPSON's 
representations here pull the wool over your eyes.

What EPSON is really up to is using its money and market position to 
intimidate current manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers, while 
discouraging future entrants who might consider selling EPSON compatible 
products.  It's an old fashioned grab at monopoly of a market segment 
that the Hunt Brothers would understand all too well..
 
Even the entries of HP and Canon won't make a difference if EPSON 
succeeds. Why? Because they all use the same razor/blade business 
model.  If EPSON succeeds here, 3rd party alternatives will dry up.  If 
that's the case with inks, just give the OEMs time to figure out how to 
do it with media as well...



-- 
Keith

 
Keith Krebs

"Just some guy," caretaker of the Multiverse's largest EPSON printer 
User Community (highly recommended by Vogon Poets and MegaDodo 
Publications), at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EPSON_Printers/
and  the Multiverse's largest Canon printer User  Community at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Canon-printers
"For the rest of you out there, the secret is to bang the rocks together 
guys"

 

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