TED2012
Drew Curtis: How I beat a patent troll
德鲁·柯提思：如何打败“专利钓鱼者”
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德鲁·柯提思，Fark.com的创始人，讲述了一个他与一个有着“用电子邮件制作和传播新闻”的专利的公司打官司的故事。同时他也分享了一些让你意想不到的、由无意义的专利所引发的法律问题的相关数据。
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
Last January, my company, Fark.com, was sued
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去年一月，我的的公司Fark.com，跟雅虎，MSN
00:19
along with Yahoo, MSN, Reddit,
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Reddit，AOL，TechCrunch
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AOL, TechCrunch and others
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以及其他几个网站
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by a company called Gooseberry Natural Resources.
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被一家叫做“醋栗自然资源” (Gooseberry Natural Resources)的公司给起诉了
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Gooseberry owned a patent
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“醋栗”拥有一项关于
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for the creation and distribution
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用电子邮件制作和传播
00:32
of news releases via email.
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新闻的专利
00:35
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
00:38
Now it may seem kind of strange that such a thing can actually be patented,
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这种东西都能被专利，我知道挺搞笑的
00:41
but it does happen all the time.
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不过这种事儿的确时时刻刻都在发生
00:43
Take something already being done
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把已经存在的东西据为己有
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and patent it for an emerging technology --
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为新兴的技术申请专利——
00:47
like phone calls on the internet
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——像是网上电话
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or video listings for TV shows
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或者是电视节目的视频清单
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or radio but for cellphones,
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或者是手机广播
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and so on.
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诸如此类
00:57
The problem with these patents
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这些专利的问题在于
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is that the mechanisms are obscure
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它们的运行机制很晦涩
01:01
and the patent system is dysfunctional,
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整个专利系统也很混乱
01:03
and as a result, most of these lawsuits end in settlements.
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导致最终大多数的诉讼都以庭外和解告终
01:06
And because these settlements are under a non-disclosure agreement,
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但是由于在和解中所签署的条款都是保密的
01:09
no one knows what the terms were.
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所以没有人知道协议里到底说了什么
01:11
And as a result, the patent troll can claim
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那么那些“专利钓鱼者”就可宣称
01:13
that they won the case.
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他们赢了官司
01:16
In the case of Gooseberry Natural Resources,
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在和醋栗自然资源公司的官司中
01:18
this patent on emailing news releases
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这项关于邮件新闻发布的专利
01:20
had sort of a fatal flaw
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对于我的公司来说
01:22
as it pertained to myself,
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其实有致命的缺陷
01:24
and that was that in the mainstream media world
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那就是在主流媒体界
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there is only one definition for news release,
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关于“新闻发布”的定义只有一项
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and it turns out that is press release --
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那就是有关公共关系的
01:31
as in P.R.
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媒体新闻发布
01:33
Now my company, Fark,
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我的公司——Fark
01:35
deals with news, ostensibly,
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显然是在做真正的新闻而不是公关
01:37
and as a result
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因此
01:39
we were not in violation of this patent.
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我们应该没有侵犯这个专利
01:41
So case closed, right?
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官司完了？
01:43
Wrong.
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省省吧！
01:45
One of the major problems with patent law is that,
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专利法的一个大问题就是
01:47
in the case that when you are sued by a patent troll,
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当你被一个“专利钓鱼者”起诉的时候
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the burden of proof that you did not infringe on the patent
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被告有义务证明自己
01:53
is actually on the defendant,
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没有侵权
01:55
which means you have to prove
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这意味着你不得不自证
01:57
that you do not infringe on the patent they're suing you on.
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你并没有侵犯他们在起诉中提到的那个专利
02:00
And this can take quite a while.
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这会花很长时间
02:03
You need to know that the average patent troll defense
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要知道通常在于“专利钓鱼者”之间的官司中
02:06
costs two million dollars
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你平均要花两百万美元和
02:08
and takes 18 months when you win.
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18个月来取得胜利
02:11
That is your best case outcome
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这就是当你被一个“专利钓鱼者”起诉时
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when you get sued by a patent troll.
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能得到的最好的结果
02:15
Now I had hoped to team up with some of these larger companies
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我本希望能和那些大公司联手
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in order to defend against this lawsuit,
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来打这场官司
02:20
but one-by-one they settled out of the case,
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不过一个接一个的，他们都和解了
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even though -- and this is important --
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尽管如此——这很重要——
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none of these companies
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他们中没有一个
02:27
infringed on this patent -- not a one of them.
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真正侵权了——一个都没有
02:30
And they started settling out.
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但是他们还是选择了和解
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The reason they settled out
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他们庭外和解的原因是
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is because it's cheaper to settle than to fight the lawsuit --
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这比打官司要便宜
02:36
clearly, two million dollars cheaper in some cases,
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很明显，有时甚至要便宜两百万
02:39
and much worse if you actually lose.
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而且你还很有可能输——如果情况更糟的话
02:41
It would also constitute a massive distraction for management of a company,
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这还会大大分散公司管理层的精力
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especially a small eight-man shop like my company.
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尤其是我们这样的八人小公司
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Six months into the lawsuit,
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在官司进行了六个月后
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we finally reached the discovery phase.
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我们终于进入了互相举证环节
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And in discovery phase,
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在这个阶段
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we asked the patent troll to please provide
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我们要求这个“专利钓鱼公司”提供
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screenshots of Fark
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我们Fark公司
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where the infringement of their patent
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侵犯他们专利权的
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was actually occurring.
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屏幕截图
03:01
Now perhaps it's because no such screenshots actually existed,
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当然了，可能是因为根本就没有这么一个截屏存在
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but suddenly Gooseberry wanted to settle.
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总之“醋栗”突然想要和解了
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Their attorney:
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他们的律师说
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"Ah, yes. My company's having a reorganization on our end."
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“呃，那啥，我的客户公司最近重组了。”
03:13
Never mind the fact
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当然了我们先不计较他们公司的地址
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that the address led to a strip mall somewhere in Northern L.A.
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其实是在北洛杉矶的某个购物中心里
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with no employees.
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而且一个雇员都没有
03:19
"And we'd like to go ahead and close this out.
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“我们决定干脆把这个官司给停了
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So would you mind giving us your best and final offer?"
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你介不介意给我出个价？”
03:25
My response:
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我说：
03:27
"How about nothing?!"
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“你觉得一个子儿都没有怎么样？”
03:29
(Applause)
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（掌声）
03:34
We didn't have high hopes for that outcome.
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我们本来真没指望结果是这样的。
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(Laughter)
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（笑声）
03:38
But they settled.
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不过他们和解了
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No counter offer.
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没有还价
03:42
Now, as mentioned before,
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像我之前说过的
03:44
one of the reasons I can talk to you about this
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我之所以能谈论这件事的原因之一是
03:46
is because there's no non-disclosure agreement on this case.
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我们没有签署非披露合约
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Now how did that happen?
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怎么可能？
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Well during the settlement process, when we received our copy, I struck it.
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在和解过程中，当我收到合约的拷贝时，我大改了一通
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My attorney said, "Nah, no chance of that working."
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我的律师说“呃，估计这没戏”
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It came back signed.
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但是他们签了
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Now why? You can call them.
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为什么呢？你可以问他们
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They're not under NDA either.
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反正他们签的也是非披露合约
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Now what did I learn from this case? Well, three things.
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我从这个事情中学到了什么呢？三件事儿
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First of all, if you can,
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第一 如果可以的话
04:09
don't fight the patent, fight the infringement.
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别在专利本身上纠缠，而是要去讨论是否侵权
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Patents are very difficult to overturn.
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专利是很难被推翻的
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Infringement is a lot easier to disprove.
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证明没有侵权的话会容易得多
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Secondly, make it clear from the beginning
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第二，在一开始就让他们明白
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that either you have no money at all
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你根本没钱
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or that you would rather spend money with your attorney fighting the troll
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或者你与其给他们钱你更愿意
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than actually giving them the money.
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把钱花在打官司上
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Now the reason this works
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这之所以有效的原因是
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is because patent trolls
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“专利钓鱼者”们
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are paid a percentage of what they're able to recover in settlements.
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会得到和解金额的一部分
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If it becomes clear to them that they cannot recover any money,
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如果他们明白他们真的拿不到钱
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they become less interested in pursuing the case.
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那么他们就不会兴趣把这个官司继续下去
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Finally, make sure that you can tell them
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最后，一定要让他们知道
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that you will make this process
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你会尽你所能把这个官司弄的
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as annoying and as painful
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极其让他们头疼，让他们烦恼
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and as difficult as possible for them.
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让他们觉得难以处理
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Now this is a tactic that patent trolls are supposed to use on people
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这本来是他们那些“专利钓鱼者”为了让人们妥协
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to get their way.
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而用的伎俩
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It turns out, because they're paid on contingency,
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不过由于他们胜诉收费制度的存在
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it works really, really well in reverse.
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这策略用在他们身上也极合适
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Don't forget that.
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千万记好
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So what does all this mean?
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那么这些事儿到底说明了什么呢？
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Well to sum up,
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简单总结一下就是
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it boils down to one thing:
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这可以得出一个结论
05:05
Don't negotiate with terrorists.
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不要跟恐怖分子谈判
05:08
(Applause)
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（掌声）
05:13
Patent trolls have done more damage to the United States economy
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这些“专利钓鱼者”对美国经济造成的伤害
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than any domestic or foreign
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比任何本土或者国外的
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terrorist organization in history
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恐怖组织都要大
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every year.
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每年都是
05:24
And what do they do with that money?
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他们用这些钱干什么呢？
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They plow it right back into filing more troll lawsuits.
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他们把它用在申请更多的钓鱼诉讼上
05:31
Now this is the point in the Talk
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现在我要说说我应该怎样
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where I'm supposed to come up with some kind of a solution for the patent system.
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为我们的专利体系想出个什么解决方法
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And the problem with that
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问题是
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is that there are two very large industry groups
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两个重要的的行业却对
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that have different outcomes in mind
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我们的专利体系有着
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for the patent system.
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两个不同的想法
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The health care industry
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医疗保障系统
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would like stronger protections for inventors.
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希望发明者被重点保护
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The hi-tech industry
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不过高科技产业呢
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would like stronger protections for producers.
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则希望生产者被重点保护
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And these goals aren't necessarily diametrically opposed, but they are at odds.
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他们的两者并不是完全的对立的，不过他们的确有分歧
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And as a result, patent trolls can kind of live in the space in between.
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因此，“专利钓鱼者”们就从这两者之间的分歧区域寻找机会
05:59
So unfortunately I'm not smart enough
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非常不幸我并没有聪明到能
06:01
to have a solution for the patent troll problem.
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想出一个解决办法
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However, I did have this idea,
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不过，我确实有个小想法
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and it was kind of good.
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而且它似乎还不错
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And I thought, "I should patent this."
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我觉得：“我得给它申请个专利”
06:12
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
06:15
Behold, patent infringement via mobile device --
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注意——移动设备上的专利侵权——
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defined as a computer which is not stationary.
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就是在一个可移动电脑上的专利侵权
06:24
My solution: award me this patent
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这就是我的解决方法：给我这个专利
06:26
and I will troll them out of existence.
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我钓死那帮玩意儿
06:28
Thank you.
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谢谢！
06:30
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Drew Curtis - Web entrepreneurDrew Curtis is the founder and administrator of Fark.com.
Why you should listen
In 1993, while a student in England, Drew Curtis began sending links to his friends. Over time that grew until he founded a website for the links: Fark.com. The site has now grown into one of the largest, and most irreverant, news aggregators on the web.
Along with managing Fark.com, Curtis speaks on behalf of other entrepreneurs targeted by "patent trolls" -- an epithet for companies or law firms that file aggressive, broad patent lawsuits against other companies.
Download a .zip file of Drew Curtis and Fark's court documents >>
Drew Curtis | Speaker | TED.com