If the need for monopoly incentives in the tech industry is doubtful, the cost of granting them is clear. Whereas a drug patent covers one independent product, a technology patent typically covers a building block of a product, such as the look of the icons on a touch screen, to cite one of Apple’s complaints against Samsung. By patenting such building blocks, tech groups prevent rivals from using yesterday’s inventions to create tomorrow’s improved ones. Rather than spurring progress, patents can trip it up.
如果说在科技行业采取专利权激励措施的必要性尚且存疑的话,那么授予专利权的成本则是显而易见的。药品专利覆盖的是一款独立产品,但技术专利通常只涉及一款产品的一个组成部分,例如苹果在针对三星诉讼中提出的触屏图标外观。为这些组成部分申请专利以后,科技公司便能阻止竞争对手利用过去的发明制造出未来的改进品。专利不仅没有激励进步,反而会阻碍进步。
This problem has reached epidemic proportions in the tech industry. By one count, in 2005, 41 companies claimed 8,000 patents associated with 3G communications technology. Other standards, such as MP3 music, are similarly surrounded by thickets of competing claims.
这一问题在科技行业已然泛滥。一项统计显示,2005年有41家公司申请了8000项与3G通信技术有关的专利。与之相似,MP3音乐等其他领域的标准,也有数不清的专利申请在较劲。
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