5 ms·

This is only half true. It needs to read: “Any VC backed startup can steal IP and hire lawyers to clean up the mess” If you have money, you can usually buy in

• kaffeeringe 2y ago
  Crime pays, when you are rich.
  • rbanffy 2y ago
    With enough money you can help elect someone to change the law and… whatever you did is no longer a crime. Problem solved.
• rchaud 2y ago
  Exactly. Uber was an illegal taxi service, and Airbnb was an illegal hotel service that skated on technicalities thanks to an an army of lawyers and influential cheerleaders on Capitol Hill and CNBC beating the drums of "innovation". The playbook has been in operation for over a decade.
  • gruez 2y ago
    >Uber was an illegal taxi service That claim is at best, speculative. According to wikipedia they won every case brought against them, so as far as the law is concerned they didn't do anything illegal. >Taxi companies sued Uber in numerous American cities, alleging that Uber's policy of violating taxi regulations was a form of unfair competition or a violation of antitrust law.[80] Although some courts did find that Uber intentionally violated the taxi rules, Uber prevailed in every case, including the only case to proceed to trial.[81]
    • sroussey 2y ago
      There is a reason they changed their name.
    • rchaud 2y ago
      If you or I started a similar company, we'd be shut down. Apparently the difference between "violated the rules" and "illegal" is how many billions you have backstopping your efforts. American laws have enough loopholes that a convicted felon running for the highest office in the land is a "legal gray area".
      • gruez 2y ago
        >If you or I started a similar company, we'd be shut down. This is asserted without evidence or justification. >Apparently the difference between "violated the rules" and "illegal" is how many billions you have backstopping your efforts. Legality is not binary. It exists on a spectrum. What uber did was in a gray zone, because they technically weren't taxis in the sense that only did prearranged pickups (as opposed to picking up fares hailing from the street). Is what they're doing actually illegal? You could argue either way. If you got sued by the city and were poor, couldn't afford a lawyer to represent you and rebut the city's claim, or couldn't pay your bills while the ligation was ongoing, that would very well have been the end of line for you. Conversely, if you could afford a bunch high powered lawyers that can do a bunch of research and write persuasive arguments, you might have been able to get a decision in your favor. While there's a difference between being poor and rich, it's not exactly the same as "the difference between "violated the rules" and "illegal" is how many billions you have backstopping your efforts", because persuasive arguments only get you so far. It only helps you in marginal cases, and doesn't mean you can murder people in broad daylight and get away with it, which is what your statement implies.
    • fxtentacle 2y ago
      "Uber developed a software tool called "Greyball" to avoid giving rides to known law enforcement officers in areas where its service was illegal such as in Portland, Oregon" says Wikipedia about the time when Uber operated illegally.
• throwaway290 2y ago
  It's the playbook of ClosedAI (and I guess why Microsoft pretends it is legally independent and not its vassal).