4 ms·

Things like OIN[0] didn't exist when MS and Google bought companies to strip them of their patents. They do exist now, and it's basically a truce over fighting

by ece 5y ago

Things like OIN[0] didn't exist when MS and Google bought companies to strip them of their patents. They do exist now, and it's basically a truce over fighting on patents. The Bork view on anti-trust definitely has favored these companies, and Apple and Google can absolutely be accused of having and using monopoly power to keep competitors out. Google pays to be the default search engine on iOS (keeping competitors out), and Apple denies fair platform access to software it thinks has a chance at competing with it's ecosystem (Tile, etc..). Amazon and Facebook can be accused of this pretty easily too (restricting 3rd party sellers, restricting API access respectively). The law[1] is pretty clear on this, but bills exactly like [2] and [3] would clear it up more, which I believe Cory Doctrow supports, at least from reading his Twitter. [0] https://openinventionnetwork.com/ https://openinventionnetwork.com/ [1] https://www.justice.gov/atr/competition-and-monopoly-single-firm-conduct-under-section-2-sherman-act-chapter-2 https://www.justice.gov/atr/competition-and-monopoly-single-... [2] https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3825/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3825... [3] https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3816/text https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3816...

gowld 5y ago
What's the difference between keeping competitors our and keeping yourself in? Some goods are unique or scarce and go to the highest bidder.
- ece 5y ago
  Those aren't the type of goods these companies are making. All of these companies have durable market power (in search, networking/communication, marketplaces); and can and have used it to expand their own power like the article says, and do it at the expense of smaller competitors. Hence the new anti-rust view being one that stops such anti-competitive actions.
AlbertCory 5y ago
Re [0], there are zillions of these "open patent" initiatives. Every week a new one comes along. It's easy to get lots of tiny companies to sign up for them. It's a lot harder to get anyone with a really valuable patent. As for the Bork view: all those things you mentioned are "consumer harm" and are not protected. It would be a lot more fruitful to look at the lobbyist spending by the tech giants, and the Astroturf "studies" they fund.
- ece 5y ago
  OIN includes Google and Microsoft, and 43 other pages of companies big and small: https://openinventionnetwork.com/download/48946/ https://openinventionnetwork.com/download/48946/ I hope the current lawsuits against these companies over the exactly the things I mentioned should be easily decided then, and we won't need the bills I linked.

by ece 5y ago

gowld 5y ago

What's the difference between keeping competitors our and keeping yourself in? Some goods are unique or scarce and go to the highest bidder.

ece 5y ago
Those aren't the type of goods these companies are making. All of these companies have durable market power (in search, networking/communication, marketplaces); and can and have used it to expand their own power like the article says, and do it at the expense of smaller competitors. Hence the new anti-rust view being one that stops such anti-competitive actions.

AlbertCory 5y ago

Re [0], there are zillions of these "open patent" initiatives. Every week a new one comes along. It's easy to get lots of tiny companies to sign up for them. It's a lot harder to get anyone with a really valuable patent. As for the Bork view: all those things you mentioned are "consumer harm" and are not protected. It would be a lot more fruitful to look at the lobbyist spending by the tech giants, and the Astroturf "studies" they fund.

ece 5y ago
OIN includes Google and Microsoft, and 43 other pages of companies big and small: https://openinventionnetwork.com/download/48946/ https://openinventionnetwork.com/download/48946/ I hope the current lawsuits against these companies over the exactly the things I mentioned should be easily decided then, and we won't need the bills I linked.