Microsoft's Latest Export To Korea: Patents That Hold Back Innovation

from the things-get-worse-before-they-get-better dept

Thu, Oct 26th 2006 3:32pm — Mike Masnick

No one can accurately say that there hasn't been a ton of innovation coming out of South Korea in the past few years, but now it seems that Microsoft is crashing the party. Against Monopoly is noting that Koreans are getting worried about the large number of software patents Microsoft has been filing in the country, noting that it seems very clear that Microsoft's plans are about using these patents to restrict competition. They note that, historically, Korean companies haven't focused on getting software patents, and they're now worried about how this will slow down innovation throughout the country. It will be interesting to see if this causes a change in policy, but it certainly highlights the fallacy that more patents shows how innovation is increasing in a country. This is yet another place where more patents are causing plenty of people to be quite worried about how it can hold back innovation.

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9 Comments

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LL, 26 Oct 2006 @ 5:27pm

Korean Companies and Software
Microsoft reminds me of the famous quote from Rocky IV by Ivan Drago..."I will crush you"
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charlie potatoes, 26 Oct 2006 @ 5:40pm

can't be too famous..i never heard it... but i do like the line about how hard it is to get a decent hair jelly.... if we are just quoting obscure movies.
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km4, 26 Oct 2006 @ 6:44pm

Newsflash....MSFT has always been about holding back innovation.
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kevin, 26 Oct 2006 @ 6:59pm

holding back innovation
How many times did the author write "holding back innovation"? Microsoft, in my opinion, is not about holding back innovation. It initiated and led the expansion of computer technologies. It is not holding anyone back. By creating Windows and various software, it is eliminating competition, therefore lowering prices.

GG Microsoft.
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Dosquatch, 26 Oct 2006 @ 7:03pm

Re:
if we are just quoting obscure movies.

obscure? Rocky? What planet are you from? I'm not inclined to toss around the word "clueless" too often, but it seems like that's my reaction almost every time I read one of your posts.

Are you sure you aren't Dorpus in disguise?
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Charlie potatoes, 26 Oct 2006 @ 7:10pm

you don't know what you're lookin' at....
i don't understand why my posts bother you so much.
and i don't know who you have read them to you.. but i suspect your sense of humour is about as tiny as your penis and the two together leave you feeling extraordinarily inadequate. so ...fuck you towel head...
there, i feel much better.
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HurB, 27 Oct 2006 @ 1:26am

"Inadequate" look who's talking?! It's Rocky for man!!! And what's with the towel head thing anyway... On another note: "eliminating competition, therefore lowering prices." I'd like to see which economic model you pulled that one from. It does seem apparent that the more innovations there are, more patents might be filed; and if more of these innovators are restricted from further innovations by patents (or having to pay the patent holder), it will definitely restrict competition. This will, by no means, reduce prices!!!
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Sanguine Dream, 27 Oct 2006 @ 5:56am

Re: holding back innovation
I think the point of this article is to introduce the idea of MS trying to do what they did not (or could not maybe) do in the states. It would be pretty hard to get a lot of basic (and probably obvious) patent in the US today. Assuming that these are basic and broad patents MS could be laying the ground work to stifle innovation and competition. If I go to Korea and get a patent on what basically means, "retail over the internet" then that would really put a damper on any potential competitor.

By creating Windows and various software, it is eliminating competition, therefore lowering prices.

Wouldn't eliminating competition cause prices to go up? If there is no one to compete with me I can charge quite a bit for my product. Why else would MS OSs and Office Packages cost so much? In a market in which there are multiple competitors price it on of the biggest points of contention. If you have lots of competitors then you literally can't afford to charge too much for your product.
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Mystif, 30 Oct 2006 @ 7:27am

Response to Kevin
Dear Kevin, the one who wrote:
"By creating Windows and various software, it is eliminating competition, therefore lowering prices."

I direct your attention to: http://www.tunexp.com/news/windows-story-135.html

That is not a recent article... Where is my $40.00 copy of XP and Office combined?

No, you can well expect that those prices will never be offered in the USA and that Microsoft will continue to charge what it does now, or more, for its products.

I hope you will pay CLOSE attention to the fact that the reason behind Microsoft offering this package in Thailand was do competition and NOT do to the lack of competition.

Until the competition has Microsoft shaking in their boots prices will either stabilize or climb.
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