More Drivel From Microsoft's Prendergast
Another analysis of the September Prendergast
article can be found here: http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20050929134232923
But there are many more Prendergast articles on Fox, each one hewing Microsoft's wood and drawing Microsoft's water in some way, and in none of the others is he honestly identified by Fox.
For instance, here is a January article from Fox, still with his original dishonest biographical tagline, rather than the slightly-more-revealing biographical tagline the editors issued after a correction:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,143933,00.html
The point seems to be that intellectual property laws that protect the rights of corporations (spelled, Prendergast's concealed paymaster, Microsoft) are good, and laws that protect the rights of individuals from those corporations are bad. He uses almost every logical fallacy in the book, hitting Richard M Stallman in one short aside with a strawman, an ad hominem ("socialist!"), and begging the question.
But there are many more Prendergast articles on Fox, each one hewing Microsoft's wood and drawing Microsoft's water in some way, and in none of the others is he honestly identified by Fox.
For instance, here is a January article from Fox, still with his original dishonest biographical tagline, rather than the slightly-more-revealing biographical tagline the editors issued after a correction:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,143933,00.html
The point seems to be that intellectual property laws that protect the rights of corporations (spelled, Prendergast's concealed paymaster, Microsoft) are good, and laws that protect the rights of individuals from those corporations are bad. He uses almost every logical fallacy in the book, hitting Richard M Stallman in one short aside with a strawman, an ad hominem ("socialist!"), and begging the question.
Going deeper into the January Prendergast
article, mentioned above, he lists these as his (meaning, his owner,
Microsoft's) priorities:
End the Patent Fee Diversion. -- by this, Prendergast wants to keep patent fee money in the patent office so that it can better serve his corporate masters.
Prendergast also said, "Congress did the right thing last year by allowing a fee increase for applications." The reason for this was to cut off the knees of smaller companies and individuals filing patents, and ensure that only the largest corporations, the Golden Calf worshipped by Prendergast, could file.
Increase the Quality of Patents. -- this is a code phrase for increasing the obstacles to filing a patent and requiring more expensive documentation, models and proofs from patent applicants -- an anti-competitive move meant to favour large, established corporations over individual inventors and start-up companies.
Tougher Enforcement of IP Protections in Trade Agreements. -- this is a code phrase for getting the government to spend taxpayer's money for the exclusive benefit of Microsoft and other Prendergast clients (if there are any other clients, which from his slavish devotion to Microsoft seems unlikely). It is the patent holder's responsibility to enforce his rights.
Each of these is a demand for corporate welfare at the expense of the citizenry in general, turns the Constitutional provision for limited intellectual property rights on its head, and should be defeated.
But we come back to the fact that Prendergast is a phony as anything but a Microsoft employee, and his vaunted "independence" is a sham.
End the Patent Fee Diversion. -- by this, Prendergast wants to keep patent fee money in the patent office so that it can better serve his corporate masters.
Prendergast also said, "Congress did the right thing last year by allowing a fee increase for applications." The reason for this was to cut off the knees of smaller companies and individuals filing patents, and ensure that only the largest corporations, the Golden Calf worshipped by Prendergast, could file.
Increase the Quality of Patents. -- this is a code phrase for increasing the obstacles to filing a patent and requiring more expensive documentation, models and proofs from patent applicants -- an anti-competitive move meant to favour large, established corporations over individual inventors and start-up companies.
Tougher Enforcement of IP Protections in Trade Agreements. -- this is a code phrase for getting the government to spend taxpayer's money for the exclusive benefit of Microsoft and other Prendergast clients (if there are any other clients, which from his slavish devotion to Microsoft seems unlikely). It is the patent holder's responsibility to enforce his rights.
Each of these is a demand for corporate welfare at the expense of the citizenry in general, turns the Constitutional provision for limited intellectual property rights on its head, and should be defeated.
But we come back to the fact that Prendergast is a phony as anything but a Microsoft employee, and his vaunted "independence" is a sham.
Posted: Thursday - October 13, 2005 at 06:39 PM
Quick Links
Statistics
Total entries in this blog:
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Aug 06, 2007 08:05 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Aug 06, 2007 08:05 PM