On Wed, 9 Sep 2020 09:19:02 -0400, xxxxxx@gmail.com wrote:

>ObTrav: Would not surprise me if the Vilani, being traditionalists and
>heavily into regulation and structure, would have similar issues with the
>large corporations being in bed with the government. It would be more
>likely given nobility as a system of governance because getting in there is
>largely knowing the right people and all the rich folks and the nobles
>(which are often rich too) would be making many credits from their
>corporate investments and holdings and so they'd encourage the laws and
>regulations to bend in ways that maximized that profit. You don't kick your
>Count out every four years if you don't like him. The rulership of the 3I
>really is the classic example of the one-percenters.

I believe there's canon (or at least Generally Accepted Wisdom) on the
Vilani patent system that states that if you have a Vilani patent, you
can't stop your invention from being used, but you do collect a royalty on
any use of it. If your invention builds on someone else's, you pay them a
royalty, and any royalties you earn on your invention are also subject to
the royalty on the invention you build on.

For example, Eneri invents the transistor, and earns 1% royalty. You invent
the transistor-based digital computer, and earn 1% royalty. You have to pay
Eneri 1% of whatever you earn in royalties on the computer because you used
the transistor in creating it. If Sharik builds on the computer, but her
invention doesn't directly use the transistor separately, she pays you your
1%, but doesn't pay Eneri; you're the one that needs to pay Eneri.

Whether there is a similar system for copyright has not been defined.

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