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Ask HN: Are patent-lawyers like arms-dealers?
OK, headline might be a bit "over the top", but:
Over the last month I was watching the patent "wars" and just now it struck me. Who always wins is the specialized patent-lawyers.
So are these lawyers structurally the same as arms dealers, who (in times of war) profit from both sides?
I know, real arms do kill people, lawyers not so much. But the structural similarities did strike me.
Am I totally wrong? What do you think?
- morganwilde 14y agoI don't think the parallel is accurate, in the sense that arms-dealers provide the arms with which you can then inflict damage if you choose to, and patent lawyers are only needed when you already have the "gun", I.e. a patent, and also have chosen to fire it. To put things simply, without the arms dealer you are not a threat, because you have no gun, but with or without the patent lawyer you HAVE the patent and thus can be a threat.