Although this is a joke, it shows the importance of intellectual property. Mickey Mouse's copyright brings at least $3.2 billion to Disney every year, and intellectual property rights also deeply affect the development of automobiles. Everyone knows that hybrid cars are fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly. Why is popularization so slow? One reason is that it is expensive. Why is it expensive?
Because hybrid technology has long been mastered by a few companies and applied for patent protection, there are only two ways for other car companies to do hybrid, either the state buys authorization at a high price or self-research. This self-research is not done by ourselves, and it needs to bypass the existing technical patents, such as the shortest line segment between two points. Everyone knows this etiquette, but you can't do it. You must bypass it to achieve the purpose of non-infringement, otherwise you will face tort compensation.
For example, a CE company in the United States holds a large number of hybrid patents, and even Toyota has been sued by their family. In 2004, the company sued Toyota hybrid vehicles for infringing intellectual property rights, including Hyundai Motor 20 12, Ford 20 14, Volkswagen 20 16 and BMW 20 19. Obviously, this is a typical non-professional entity company, which does not produce any products and only relies on suing major enterprises to obtain benefits. This is the power of intellectual property.
So how difficult is it to bypass these patents? It's difficult. From the layout of batteries and motors to special hybrid engines, patents are everywhere. If we want to avoid them, we can only open up new technical paths. However, it is precisely because of the protection of intellectual property rights that more people are willing to develop new technologies. It is precisely because of avoiding patents that domestic car companies can better master the hybrid technology of independent property rights.