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Article #73616US Constitution (was: Ben Franklin on patents)
From: robert.e.wilber
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1991 06:44
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 1991 06:44
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In article <48185@netnews.upenn.edu> yee@mipgsun.mipg.upenn.edu (Conway Yee) writes: >Doing away with patents is next to impossible. One of the provisions of >the Constitution is a requirement that Congress set up a patent and a >copyright system. While the duration of the patent/copyright is not >constitutionally determined, its existance certainly is. The exact wording is: The Congress shall have Power ... [various things like impose taxes, coin money, etc., deleted] To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries. In short, Congress has the *right* to grant patents, but it is not *required* to. Bob Wilber
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X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 1025b4,9434f7b17f215464 X-Google-Attributes: gid1025b4,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 1991-08-14 09:34:11 PST Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!gmdzi!unido!mcsun!uunet!wupost!emory!att!cbfsb!cbnewsf.cb.att.com!rew From: rew@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (robert.e.wilber) Newsgroups: gnu.misc.discuss Subject: US Constitution (was: Ben Franklin on patents) Keywords: Franklin patent Constitution Message-ID: <1991Aug14.064424.25410@cbfsb.att.com> Date: 14 Aug 91 06:44:24 GMT References: <65707@bbn.BBN.COM> <1991Aug13.183216.19588@agate.berkeley.edu> <48185@netnews.upenn.edu> Sender: news@cbfsb.att.com Reply-To: homxb!wilber Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 20