The Devil's Pictionary

[davar55]

Originally Posted by xilman

Once again you use the word "necessary" where I firmly believe you mean "highly desirable".

You have yet to convince me of necessity. I accept that patent protection can be desirable, for inventors and for society at large. Nonetheless, trade secrets are also a viable protection mechanism and are widely used. For a long time they were essentially the only protection mechanism available. Patents (as indicated by the very name --- Latin for "open") were invented so that inventions would eventually benefit society as a whole rather than only one or a few manufacturers, the quid pro quo being a short-term monopoly on production. Really, this is all very basic stuff in intellectual protection law and I can't see why you continue to insist on necessity, an absolute, rather than desirability which is a continuum.

Desirable to you means necessary to some hence necessary in principle to all.
Patents, however guaranteed, give security to those who need it. This makes
their availability necessary. I don't see what you have against patents. Those
who don't want or choose to obtain one can do without if they choose.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by davar55

Desirable to you means necessary to some hence necessary in principle to all.
Patents, however guaranteed, give security to those who need it. This makes
their availability necessary. I don't see what you have against patents. Those
who don't want or choose to obtain one can do without if they choose.

I have nothing against patents.

I have an aversion to sloppy use of terminology.

[only_human]

Originally Posted by Batalov

Ah. I liked his 'Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge', ...but I didn't know that he spawned this abominable thread!


Margaret Henan could beat that.

Indeed she could. Thanks for the link; I hadn't read that story.

[only_human]

Airbag: used for cushioning in the snack aisle. May contain potatoes or other trace contaminants.

[ewmayer]

Possum (n) - singular form of posse.

[only_human]

In all due respect: antonym of "with respect"

[kladner]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

Possum (n) - singular form of posse.

ARGH!

[only_human]

Find x:
The never-ending search by Waldo and Speed Racer for Racer x.

[davar55]

Originally Posted by only_human

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to provide new entries to bring this compelling compendium into the 21st century e.g.:
...
Trickle Down Theory
(phrasal compound) Resources are sent up; waste trickles down.

Trickle Down Theory (alt.)
(epistemology) Ideas get created; ideas get shared; money goes first to originators; products later to others;

(couldn't seem to make it funny)

[legendarymudkip]

Trickle Down Theory (alt 2): This refers to the quality of products and the like when money begins to come involved. It is unproved, but there are no known counter examples.

[Uncwilly]

Martini: (plural noun) two martinus