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Technology Stocks : VALENCE TECHNOLOGY (VLNC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Curtis who wrote (22277)	11/12/2000 5:12:44 PM
From: Zeev Hed	Respond to of 27311

John, they made it 20 years from filing (it used to be simply 17 years from issuance) because many organizations used the technique of "submarine" patents, delaying on purpose, abandoning patents for continuations etc. in essence lengthening the monopoly (people can start sell and use without the patent being out, just by warning on th product "patent pending") much beyond the intended time. In cases where the delays can be shown to be due to the patent office, they will accept a petition to lengthen the time, to I believe either 5 additional years or to 17 years from issue, which ever is sooner. By the way, there is a lobby of large corporations and foreign corporations trying to get additional changes through congress (and there is an opposing lobby of small inventors, of course, but they are not as powerful). They are the one that got this change through. They also wanted to change the "first to invent" rule for priority to "first to file" (like in Japan and Europe), but so far that effort was defeated. The industrial lobby also supported the move to charge "maintenance fees" during the life of the patent, which further increases the cost of patenting (it is a problem for small organizations, for instance, if VLNC has 100 patents , 1/3 will come up for maintenance fees every year, at an average cost of about $1500 (that includes the lawyers handling costs), that is another $50,000 in expenses). Many smaller companies, or individuals find it difficult to dish out that kind of money year after year, so they abandon patents by not paying the maintenance fees. Zeev

To: John Curtis who wrote (22277)	11/12/2000 5:32:08 PM
From: Dennis V.	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27311

John, good thinking. Lev might be looking for a diversified clientele; some considerations: Labor cost financial resources engineering base track record, "eminence" sales channels geography tariffs or other taxes infrastructure(existing plant) political stability environmental restrictions preexisting alliance intelligent work force labor unions branding transportation communication currency exchange infringement history chain of command

To: John Curtis who wrote (22277)	11/12/2000 11:23:40 PM
From: P. Ramamoorthy	Respond to of 27311

John, US - 20 years from the issue date. That is when it becomes public art. Ram

To: John Curtis who wrote (22277)	11/13/2000 11:29:15 AM
From: Doug McKenzie-Mohr	Respond to of 27311

John: I agree with you that the stock price is going to be range bound. My hunch, however, is that we are more likely to drift toward that lower part of the range that we have occupied in the last while. Personally, I am going to accumulate some cash to take advantage of buying opportunities in that lower range. If Valence had not seen the runup of last week it might have tested new recent lows with the pressure that the election and HP is putting on the NASDAQ. Long term I am very bullish and I think we should see this delay in ramping up production as a potential buying opportunity. Doug