From: Warren Katz <wkatz@media-lab.media.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: The harsh light of reality: the industry is static.
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 91 02:15:32 EDT
Organization: MIT Media Laboratory



In article <1991Aug28.133244.17912@milton.u.washington.edu> you write:

>Item:  There has been a lot of controvery and hard feelings in the Silicon
>Valley community as a result of patent claims and legal attacks on vendors 
>by other vendors.  The suppressing effects on innovation of rabid competi-
>tion and,in light of the undeveloped market, premature attempts at 
>"monopolizing" technology are starting to be felt beyond the Valley, among 
>the researchers who use Valley products for their own VR experiments.

>Item:  Speaking with the research director of one of the U.S.'s preeminent
>corporate laboratories, who has made his reputation speaking about the
>use of cutting edge technology to change the way work is managed, I was
>told, "We're not interested in developing new technology.  Go ahead and
>build your virtual reality system.  For all I care, do it with the Japanese.
>Then, when it works, we'll build our own copy."
>

1.  I can fully understand patenting/copyrighting everything in sight
if the world is full of research directors like you quote in the
second item.

2.  However, even if one does file these patents, one could still be
in trouble, because legal might makes right.  (Check out Apple vs.
EVERYBODY.)  If I'm sued by somebody BIG, I can't afford to prove I'm
right!

You can't win, you can't break even, ...

-john morrison (posting from warren's account)

p.s. I'm really curious -- who are the parties, and what are the
patents involoved?  And WHO IS THAT DIRECTOR?