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Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ruffian who wrote (33965)	7/2/1999 11:14:00 PM
From: JohnG	Read Replies (5) \| Respond to of 152472

"Fair" royalties for IPR depends on whether you are IPR rich or poor. The nature of property is that it is yours to have, hold, and use to your benefit. Depriving someone or their property is a matter of legal due process and not a matter of a majority vote of those who would love to acquire your property for little or nothing. Reasonable and customary royalty rates and reciprocal agreements are a matter well worked out in the US. It is inconceivable that the US government will not go to the extreme to defend intellectual property of US companies--and it does have substantial means to do so. The US position in the world community depends substantially on the value of our technology and intellectual property. Because, even though the first copy of intellectual property may cost hundreds of millions of dollars, the second copy often costs next to nothing, those companies and countries that do not have it think that the fair thing is to "give it to them for next to nothing." I see this self created UMTS Intelectual Property Association as a self serving effort by a group of self proclaimed Robin Hoods who represent the Hagfish interest and the interest of those who would jealously destroy QCOM. Central to the group must be the European incumbants like NOK, the Japanese interest and the Chinese. The only legal way to take this company is to seize control by buying up its stock. The majority of the Federal Govt would never allow a foreign company to grab it (although our President might do so for $$). Therefore the threat will have to come from a bitter and/or ambitious US company in league with the UMTS group for their own self serving interest. US companies who qualify by having been late to the party include MOT and Lucent. Intel and IBM are certainly in a power position as key suppliers. In such a high stakes game, Old Softy could be a key ally. He understands and is sympathetic with both the company's culture and the international jealousy and lack or respect for intellectual property. A rant, yes. But clearly huge amounts of money and national prestiege are involved. Politics is after all, the art of the possible--how to make others do that which they would not otherwise do. Power is never given up freely--it must be seized. JohnG