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Home / Jeremy Phillips / Neelie Kroes / Simply simplistic

Simply simplistic

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European Commissioner for Competition Policy Neelie Kroes, speaking last month at an OpenForum Europe Breakfast seminar, delivered a speech entitled 'Being open about standards', in the course of which she said:
"It is simplistic to assume that because some intellectual property protection is good, that such protection should therefore be absolute in all circumstances.

It is simplistic to assume that because standardisation sometimes brings benefits,
more standardisation will bring more benefits.

It is simplistic to assume that if the best approach is sometimes to base a standard
on proprietary technology, then that is always the best approach.

And it is simplistic to assume that we can fix on a standard today, without paying
attention to the risk of being locked-in tomorrow".
Indeed, says the IPKat, but he can't help wondering whether the somewhat hostile use of the word "simplistic" is reserved solely for the arguments in favour of intellectual property protection -- or does the Commissioner ever use the word to describe any of the propositions raised in support of competition policy?
Simply simplistic Simply simplistic Reviewed by Jeremy on Sunday, July 13, 2008 Rating: 5

1 comment:

  1. AnonymousSunday, 13 July 2008 at 20:19:00 GMT+1

    I have great difficulties in understanding the logic of some of Ms Kroes' arguments. However, questions about logic were raised more than once when she was a minister in Holland...
    In respect of "the many bad patents" she appears to rely on the allegations of the EPO management.
    The TMPDF in their also otherwise excellent paper http://www.tmpdf.net/cms/images/newsimages/08_PP05%20EPO%20future%20workload%20study%20TMPDF%20comment.pdf
    asked for the basis of such far reaching conclusions. No response yet...

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