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Chinese DVD Makers Sue Over Royalties
Viceice writes "Afterdawn.com and DigiTimes are among many other news outlets reporting that DVD player makers from China are suing the 3C DVD Patent Group over royalties on patents held by the consortium. The suit accuses 3C alliance for price-fixing, unlawful tying of essential and non-essential patents together, group boycott and conspiracy to monopolize. According to the Chinese companies, typically U.S. patent licensing fees for other products are between 3 and 5 percent of the item's wholesale price, compared to the 50 percent for DVD players."
It's interesting to note that, as India is an even bigger proponent of these freedoms than China, that the real champions of intellectual property freedoms are those in rising third world nations. This is the exact same position the US was in when it began its rise and it is interesting to consider that the economic situation of the country could so outstrip the cultural components in this manner. If you compare the three places, there are extremely few similarities, yet they all chose the same path when in the same situation.
Getting a patent does not give you the right to violate other laws, including antitrust laws. If you do, it is within the power of the courts to impose compulsory licensing.