Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Roark"
<paul.roark@...> wrote:

> There some precedent for using the antitrust laws to attack the
predatory
> use of patents.  When I was at the FTC, such an action against Xerox
is what
> freed up the copier market.

Indeed, it opened it up so much that third party toners were not
allowed  to be challenged even when they were demonstrably destructive
to the equipment. It made life interesting for Xerox to say the least.

More to the point, the current circumstance is exactly the same as one
aspect of the Xerox case, ie: cartridge design, except in this
instance Epson is getting a bye on it whereas Xerox patents were
simply ignored under the claim that they were anti competitive. It all
boils down to the old saw of "who you know and/or can influence".

As far as the politics of this go, it would make more sense to
investigate the provenance of those who made the initial decision on
it as apposed to wasting energy on rants about "he whom some love to
hate". Create some sort of a public scandal by illuminating the
sources of a bad decision and you will get a good deal more traction
toward altering things. 

Regards
Duane