4 ms·

> Governments should probably just buy good patents and release them into the public domain. Patents expire after 20 years. There is no need to buy them. You j

> Governments should probably just buy good patents and release them into the public domain. Patents expire after 20 years. There is no need to buy them. You just invite more corruption if you tell the government to pick and choose which ones are "good".

AnthonyMouse 5y ago
20 years can be a long time. The corruption problem is the same one a with NIH grants and everything else, it's just doing it after the fact in exchange for the patent. You try to minimize the inefficiency as best you can, but even when it's not zero it can still be smaller than the inefficiency from waiting for the patent to expire.
- unityByFreedom 5y ago
  A single patent can be bought for any amount, such as for life saving vaccines. I wouldn't like to see that price inflated by tax dollars, thus further reducing competition to where vaccine production becomes state-owned. Good thing the public will never go for this so I don't need to worry.
  - AnthonyMouse 5y ago
    > I wouldn't like to see that price inflated by tax dollars, thus further reducing competition to where vaccine production becomes state-owned. The entire point is that the patent goes into the public domain. The government pays money to cause it to not be patented anymore. > Good thing the public will never go for this so I don't need to worry. What does the public have anything to do with it? It's Congress that makes the laws. There are surely some companies with lobbyists who would like to make some tax dollars. Let a bit of corruption do something good for once.
    - unityByFreedom 5y ago
      > What does the public have anything to do with it? It's Congress that makes the laws. Congress most certainly is not going to undo all patent law. The ability to be rewarded for your work is foundational to capitalism. > Let a bit of corruption do something good for once. This is nonsensical.

AnthonyMouse 5y ago

20 years can be a long time. The corruption problem is the same one a with NIH grants and everything else, it's just doing it after the fact in exchange for the patent. You try to minimize the inefficiency as best you can, but even when it's not zero it can still be smaller than the inefficiency from waiting for the patent to expire.

unityByFreedom 5y ago
A single patent can be bought for any amount, such as for life saving vaccines. I wouldn't like to see that price inflated by tax dollars, thus further reducing competition to where vaccine production becomes state-owned. Good thing the public will never go for this so I don't need to worry.
- AnthonyMouse 5y ago
  > I wouldn't like to see that price inflated by tax dollars, thus further reducing competition to where vaccine production becomes state-owned. The entire point is that the patent goes into the public domain. The government pays money to cause it to not be patented anymore. > Good thing the public will never go for this so I don't need to worry. What does the public have anything to do with it? It's Congress that makes the laws. There are surely some companies with lobbyists who would like to make some tax dollars. Let a bit of corruption do something good for once.
  - unityByFreedom 5y ago
    > What does the public have anything to do with it? It's Congress that makes the laws. Congress most certainly is not going to undo all patent law. The ability to be rewarded for your work is foundational to capitalism. > Let a bit of corruption do something good for once. This is nonsensical.