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Is there any kind of logic to granting stupid patents? It seems like if their approval was really harmful to the industry, it would manifest itself in reduced t
by mullingitover 12y ago
Is there any kind of logic to granting stupid patents? It seems like if their approval was really harmful to the industry, it would manifest itself in reduced tax revenues. No government wants that. So is the government increasing its revenues by granting these arbitrary technology fiefdoms?
- smeyer 12y agoDecisions can be motivated by lots of things other than maximizing tax revenue. For example, political beliefs/agendas of various relevant parties, lobbying, bureaucratic lock-in, and so on.
- chc 12y ago"The government" is not a coherent entity. The government is made up of many self-interested groups who largely don't care and possibly don't even know about one another. The relevant agency here, the Patent and Trademark Office, is not funded by tax dollars — it's funded by fees from people or businesses seeking patents and trademarks.
- mullingitover 12y ago> The relevant agency here, the Patent and Trademark Office, is not funded by tax dollars — it's funded by fees from people or businesses seeking patents and trademarks. Sure, but their actions have ramifications that could impact revenues. If the patent system was smothering the market and therefore tax revenues, one would think that the government might eventually act in its own interests and legislate a solution. On the other hand, if the current scheme is actually boosting revenues, there might be some hesitation in fixing something that, for the government, isn't a problem at all.
- marcosdumay 12y agoIf you take a look, you'll discover that almost nobody in a typical government even thinks about tax revenues (except when they are paying it).