[Gllug] Regarding priracy (sic)

[Xander D Harkness]

Sean Burlington wrote:
> Bernard Peek wrote:
> 
>> In message <3E65F6F3.3090604 at uncertainty.org.uk>, Sean Burlington 
>> <sean at uncertainty.org.uk> writes
>>
>>> Bruce Richardson wrote:
> 
> [SNIP]
> 
>>
>> The length of copyright and patent protection should be re-evaluated. 
>> The USA have just increased copyright protection to 95 years.
>>
>> Patent lifetimes on medicines are too short, and that is causing a lot 
>> of grief in that business.
> 
> 
> not nearly as much grief as the patents are causing in the 3rd world !
> 
> and drugs companies still spend far more on marketing than research
The average medical rep costs £80,000 a year to run; however GPs can 
only remember 2,000 of the 5,000 pharmaceuticals available.  I shall 
allow each to make their argument for and against as they will :-)
> 
> In fact I find making medicine a business fairly grim at the best of 
> times - I am not convinced that this is the only way to do it...
> 
>> Big companies usually avoid illegal practises if they can. They do 
>> work hard at getting what they want while complying with the letter of 
>> the law.
> 
> 
> I disagree with that
> 
> I don't think big companies care about whether what they do is or isn't 
> legal - they care if it will be profitable or not (Microsoft being 
> exhibit A)
> 
> breaking the law is often expensive for businesses that have offices 
> lited in the phone book
> 
It may not be the companies; however I have seen employees lie about 
competitors products, I have seen them destroy competitor's property.

I have also seen individual employees sell hard won information being 
sold to competitors.

It is very hard to draw a line between personal responsability and a 
culture created from above.
> 
Kind regards
Xander


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