Whiny

At a recent conference in China on the business of patents there was a talk on the subject of patent trolls. This is pretty obscure stuff unless you are in the business.

In question time an American got up and somehow, I don’t know how, he managed to include in his dissertation (posing as a question) the concept of America’s bill of rights. I think patent trolls either restricted his rights, or the legislation of laws to restrict the patent trolls restricted their rights. It doesn’t matter which.

It seems to me that every bill of rights should also come with a bill of responsibilities. If they don’t you get this sort of behavior where an individual spuriously claims that their rights are being impinged.

If there was a Bill of Responsibilities then an individual that forgoes his’ or her’s responsibilities would also have their rights attenuated until penance has been served and they can demonstrate that they fully and properly understand their responsibilities.

It is sort of this way under law anyway but it would be useful to put rights and responsibilities on the same level.

Or to keep it simple, avoid Bill of Rights and Responsibilities altogether. After all they are just words and we do all seem to be able to read into the words whatever suits us.