Re:We Stood Up to a Patent Troll and Won
by perl4ever on Tuesday November 05, 2019 @07:10AM
(#21451640)
But we still have draconian protection for trade secrets. We still have products on the shelves of the grocery store with secret formulas. If patents are a substitute, then why not abolish the legal framework for protecting trade secrets?
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Re:We Stood Up to a Patent Troll and Won
by nine_k on Tuesday November 05, 2019 @07:34AM
(#21451788)
It's hard to limit trade secrets without severely limiting the freedom of contract.
You can still get an FDA approval for secret-formula products; a good example is Coca-Cola.
With gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, is it possible to have a secret formula these days?
Re:We Stood Up to a Patent Troll and Won
by SAI_Peregrinus on Tuesday November 05, 2019 @10:48AM
(#21453398)
Yes, those tell you what the end product is, not the actual recipe to get that. And they tell you limited information, since they tend to decompose complex compounds that are unstable when vaporized.
Re:We Stood Up to a Patent Troll and Won
by perl4ever on Tuesday November 05, 2019 @08:27PM
(#21458861)
What does criminal law have to do with "freedom of contract"? This is why "libertarian" has become a dirty word for a lot of people who used to be sympathetic.
You can be sent to prison for 15 years for trade secret infringement. It is criminal under both federal and most states' laws.
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/trade-secret-basics-...