Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of More Patents?
Submitted by admin on Wed, 09/03/2008 - 18:18.
Photo by Matt Yglesias at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.
It's interesting that AT&T is bragging about its pursuit of "more patents" rather than, say, more R&D spending or more innovation. AT&T isn't exactly known for its record of high-tech innovation, so it's a little surprising to see it hold itself out as a poster child for the patent system—particularly when we remember that AT&T and other telco incumbents have used the patent system to extort tens of millions of dollars from companies like Vonage that are actually innovating.
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At the Republican Convention, Matt Yglesias catches a funny picture of an AT&T poster touting the company's enthusiasm for the patent system. It reads: "life, liberty, and the pursuit of more patents. AT&T: Averaging 2 patent applications per day. Proudly connecting political supporters in Minneapolis."
Photo by Matt Yglesias at Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.
It's interesting that AT&T is bragging about its pursuit of "more patents" rather than, say, more R&D spending or more innovation. AT&T isn't exactly known for its record of high-tech innovation, so it's a little surprising to see it hold itself out as a poster child for the patent system—particularly when we remember that AT&T and other telco incumbents have used the patent system to extort tens of millions of dollars from companies like Vonage that are actually innovating.
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