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by jjav 798 days ago
They said, sure. Saw Stop has been such a toxic bad actor around their patents since forever, they don't get any benefit of doubt. I'm certain they'd just back down from that promise as soon as the law passes. How about they make all their patents public domain beforehand, to motivate passing the law (and I'd that point I'd be happy to support the law).

And imagine if this law passes and Saw Stop has monopoly on table saws. Sure, today you can buy one for $900 but nothing will prevent them from raising that to like $5000 when nobody else is allowed to build a table saw.
3 comments
kevin_thibedeau 798 days ago
Saw Stop's original patents are expiring. Reaxx will come back on the market and there will be a superior alternative that doesn't self-destruct. Saw Stop defending their patents during their period of exclusivity is the entire point of the patent system. There is no reason to vilify them for it when they used it to launch a successful business.
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DopplerSmell 798 days ago
There is a huge difference between defending a patent in a free market and regulatory capture mandating a product.

The patent system is not very compatible with highly regulated markets, it changes the game from choosing to buy something innovative to a non-voluntary overreach.

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sokoloff 798 days ago
What is toxic about their behavior? It seems like they genuinely invented the mousetrap for this particular type of mouse and wanting to be paid for that invention seems commercial rather than inherently toxic.
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ikekkdcjkfke 797 days ago
An ancestor comment mentioned a patent using electricity to detect flesh in sheep sheerers from 1982...
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GuB-42 797 days ago
Detecting flesh using electricity probably dates back from the voltaic pile, more than 200 years ago.

But it wasn't used to stop sawblades. How to reliably detect flesh without too many false triggers, do it fast enough, on a spinning blade, and as part of a complete system that includes the brake and actuation mechanism. That's what the patent is about, not the vague idea of using electricity to detect flesh.

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wredcoll 798 days ago
You do have some kind of proof for this wild accusation.. right?
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