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In the year 2015 will it be possible for newcomers to start new businesses? Patents seem to be reaching a point where companies are grabbing everything that ca

by dman 15y ago

In the year 2015 will it be possible for newcomers to start new businesses? Patents seem to be reaching a point where companies are grabbing everything that can be thought of and everyone arriving late to the scene is accused of thoughtcrime. Someone more charismatic, persistent and eloquent than me needs to start civil disobedience against patents.

gst 15y ago
The Internet is global. Of course you can start a business. You just need to find a way to charge US customers from whereever you are (assuming that the credit card companies will block you if you ignore US lawsuits). Or you just ignore the US market and target the rest of the world. Actually that's what already has partially happened in the banking/broker sector: Try to open a broker account at one of the European brokers and they'll very likely tell you that they don't want to have you as a customer because you are US citizen or resident (just happened to me some weeks ago). Of course the reason for the brokers aren't patents, but US regulations that would be too much of a hassle.
- dman 15y ago
  a) I found the comment about not being able to open accounts abroad very interesting, proving that runaway legislation does have an incurred cost. In the same vein one of the reasons George Soros gave for shutting down his fund was that the cost of complying with legal requirements was too high. b) Charging people remotely works for software but does not work for hardware because imports of your products can be stopped for patent infringement. c) I wonder if there is a precedent for company A going after your payment provider for enabling patent infringement.
- rorrr 15y ago
  That's why bitcoins are important.
rjd 15y ago
Software patents don't exist in my country. I could be blocked from trading in the states, but thats not my market anyway so I couldnt' care less. I just read these threads because of morbid fascination. I truly don't understand the american psyche, its sooo foreign to me, it almost appears blood thirsty.

by dman 15y ago

gst 15y ago

The Internet is global. Of course you can start a business. You just need to find a way to charge US customers from whereever you are (assuming that the credit card companies will block you if you ignore US lawsuits). Or you just ignore the US market and target the rest of the world. Actually that's what already has partially happened in the banking/broker sector: Try to open a broker account at one of the European brokers and they'll very likely tell you that they don't want to have you as a customer because you are US citizen or resident (just happened to me some weeks ago). Of course the reason for the brokers aren't patents, but US regulations that would be too much of a hassle.

dman 15y ago
a) I found the comment about not being able to open accounts abroad very interesting, proving that runaway legislation does have an incurred cost. In the same vein one of the reasons George Soros gave for shutting down his fund was that the cost of complying with legal requirements was too high. b) Charging people remotely works for software but does not work for hardware because imports of your products can be stopped for patent infringement. c) I wonder if there is a precedent for company A going after your payment provider for enabling patent infringement.
rorrr 15y ago
That's why bitcoins are important.

rjd 15y ago

Software patents don't exist in my country. I could be blocked from trading in the states, but thats not my market anyway so I couldnt' care less. I just read these threads because of morbid fascination. I truly don't understand the american psyche, its sooo foreign to me, it almost appears blood thirsty.