I received a plethora of e-mails regarding my recent article, entitled "Semi IP sector is a lost cause"
Then, I asked for the IP vendors themselves to respond to a set of questions. Here's one letter to the editor:
The existing legal framework for IP, especially with regards to the patents law, is not conducive for sharing of IPs. And the clearest pointer to this problem, referring to US Patent office website, is that patent right is define as a right to prevent others to use. With this in mind, especially big business, many patents are being frivolous filed for the purpose of business competitive edge with the sole objective of usage to stop potential competition to ensure business monopoly.
This has become a very unhealthy situation where its very much bias to the advantage of big business due their vast financial resources to the detriment of society. Even in business governance, there is legal framework to avoid monopolistic business behavior to the detriment of society. I'm sure the drafter of this legal framework did not intend this to be abuse but to provide recognition and basic protection rights to the applicants. At the same time, allowing the applicant to enjoy the potential monetary gain but not in extreme.
We should pursue and advocate the sharing IP approach (eg. compulsory licensing, royalty) because this will ensure minimization of monopolistic behavior to benefit mankind in terms of cheaper products, wider choices and possibly greater speed in improvement of technologies. A side benefit to this sharing approach will be environmental friendly because there will less duplicated efforts to achieve the same set of results.
Finally, without doubt that this have its on sets of issue which I'm very sure will be addressable as long as the priority is to ensure that no party enjoys a monopoly situation to the detriment of society.
Teck Phen, Lai (Ben)
INTOTEST
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