josh said:
I do know big companies like Microsoft, who employ more lawyers than some small countries boast, have paid a lot of money in the past for licenses for fonts, which they wouldn't need if there were no copyright attached to the typefaces.
perhaps what their "need" is, in this situation, is to legitimize a form of highway robbery that they intend on using themselves to the fullest... i'm sure you heard bill gates recently escalated the number of patents for which microsoft applies. no, there was no sudden leap in their "innovation", but just a policy-shift that reflected their belief that (ab)use of the patent process was a new goldmine... all of the big corporations pay licensing fees gladly. they realize that -- among themselves -- they're just shuffling a lot of cash back and forth in the process -- which they don't mind, it keeps their accountants busy -- so none of them really _make_ a lot, or _lose_ a lot... but the real benefit accrues to them by virtue of the fact that this practice raises the cost of entry for new players... they realize they can't knock each other out, but they can work together to ensure that nobody else enters the ring... -bowerbird