> The reason why US patents (as bad as the system is) have more power than
> european patents (for asian countries, etc) is that any product which
> infringes a US patent is not allowed to be imported to the US.

That might be what it says on the brochure but the real reason is
that litigation is a national passtime. A patent in any country gives
the holder the right to control its use in that country. The
difference is that it is up to the holder to assert that right. In
the US there are lawyers dedicated to doing just that (when they're
not out counting chads) so the system is more effective (if you are a
lawyer).

Steve.
======================================================
Steve Baldwin                Electronic Product Design
TLA Microsystems Ltd         Microcontroller Specialists
PO Box 15-680, New Lynn      http://www.tla.co.nz
Auckland, New Zealand        ph  +64 9 820-2221
email: steveb@tla.co.nz      fax +64 9 820-1929
======================================================

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