Gibson v. Heritage

[Dave W]

Now this is an interesting turn of events.

GIBSON MUST NOW FACE ANTITRUST LITIGATION IN HERITAGE CASE, US JUDGE RULES

[gearHed289]

Ironic. I saw that yesterday, but I don't have the attention span to get through all the legalese.

[Dave W]

Ironic. I saw that yesterday, but I don't have the attention span to get through all the legalese.

Nothing is decided yet. Heritage's suit survived Gibson's motion to dismiss, so the case will move forward. Heritage contends that Gibson isn't immune to antitrust violations just because it holds trademarks. The judge agreed. Heritage would still have to prove that Gibson violated antitrust laws.

This is being heard in the Western District of Michigan, which includes Kalamazoo.

[uwe]

I'm far from a trademark specialist, but enforcing trademarks always has to do with cordoning off markets. That is actually its commercial aim, evicting all competition in a market niche.

No IP protection at all is no solution either, some people make a good case for the West's superiority in technological advancement in the last two centuries being down to a functioning framework of IP protection that incentivises invention and development via economic reward. It's supposed to be one of the reasons why the Islamic World - in the Middle Ages ahead of the still formative West in almost everything - fell behind eventually.

But would we really have been better off if the guy/gal who invented the wheel had patented it for themselves?

[Pilgrim]

I'm far from a trademark specialist, but enforcing trademarks always has to do with cordoning off markets. That is actually its commercial aim, evicting all competition in a market niche.

No IP protection at all is no solution either, some people make a good case for the West's superiority in technological advancement in the last two centuries being down to a functioning framework of IP protection that incentivises invention and development via economic reward. It's supposed to be one of the reasons why the Islamic World - in the Middle Ages ahead of the still formative West in almost everything - fell behind eventually.

But would we really have been better off if the guy/gal who invented the wheel had patented it for themselves?

Uwe, you may be surprised to hear this, but I quoted your post (minus the first short paragraph) in my Master's level online course about technology's impacts on society.  I think you made some points which are pertinent to the course, so I asked students to comment and discuss.

This makes the point that even your ramblings often have intellectual merit.  I tip my fedora to you!

[uwe]

Well, we can't discuss anal sex all the time, in depth penetration as the subject unnaturally warrants!

This makes the point that even your ramblings often have intellectual merit.



PS: You think an honorary doctorate might be in it for me?

[Pilgrim]