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Originally Posted by SuperJake
Isn't that what Polaroid does? Or used to do? I heard somewhere that the reason you only see Polaroid instant-develop picture cameras is because they put out a product, then by the time any competition comes up with a copy or competitor, Polaroid puts out the next generation. It seems like a good plan, but eventually technology can't keep up with the innovation requirements and that tidal wave of competition behind you catches up and you get washed away.
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Kodak had a instant develop camera, but had to take it off the market because Polaroid won a big patent infringement suit against them.
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Just look at the computer you are using, supposedly an example of the latest technology. There are not really any major parts of it that any single company controls thanks to patents. Almost every single part has many competitors making similar products and that's not because they are all paying license fees to one..
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Single parts are interchangeable, but each is slightly different and those differences are patented to keep the competitors from making an exact copy. Again, why would they bother if it didn't increase their profits? Companies don't stay in business long wasting money like that.
Look at the list of patent numbers on a new PC box some time. For example, Intel alone has almost 10,000 patents, and is in the top ten for number of patents granted last year:
http://www.ipo.org/Template.cfm?Sect...entDisplay.cfm
But, to be fair, computer technology isn't a good example because it is one of the fastest growing fields. But it is only one field and thousands more depend on patents. Microsoft didn't get it's value from patents because, until recently, software wasn't patentable (and that is a big controversy). The biggest field is electronics. Check out the list above. Microsoft is on it, so are a lot I bet you would never guess would be there.