"Patents = Innovation" (was Re: [Fsfe-ie] CharlieMcCreevy)

Seth Johnson seth.johnson at realmeasures.dyndns.org
Sun Aug 15 12:12:12 CEST 2004


This link mentions that Vivan Reding is in charge of the "Information
Society" dossier, which is interesting because apparently she is unfamiliar
with that area:

http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2004/0813newcommi.html

This presents an interesting question of what to do with her.  I wonder if
this would mean she'll be guided by someone above her; that might be why
Barroso appointed her.  Just speculation . . .

Obviously we should approach her as well.


Seth


Seth Johnson wrote:
> 
> > I think we should start something where we get economic and political
> > analysts to comment on the uncritical use of the number of patents as an
> > indicator of innovation and research.  We can target that analysis to
> > McCreevy.
> >
> > These indicators are used by somebody in government.  Who?  Whatever they
> > use them for, can be subject to incisive criticism.
> 
> What I'm talking about in the following is, we need to convey to the folks
> who devised the performance measures for the Lisbon Strategy, that simply
> counting "technology patents" as a measures of innovation, failing to make
> the distinction that SW patents establish a thoroughgoing constraint on
> innovation, is not going to work as an objective measure for the "voluntary"
> Lisbon Strategy.  In describing the distinction and its implications, we may
> do well to play to Verheugen, and to the evident "balancing" between Michel
> and Mandelson.  This is very important, because I believe it is this
> overarching strategy, and this measure in particular, which probably
> accounts for the implacable indifference of these folks to assertions of
> democratic principles of governance, as they pursue a "fact-based,"
> business-like approach to governance.

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