Do patents help or hinder innovation Instinctively, they would seem a blessing. Patenting an idea gives its inventor a 20-year monopoly to exploit the fruit of his la- bor in the marketplace, in exchange for publishing a full account of how the new product, process or material works for everyone to see. For the inventor, that may be a reasonable trade-off. For society, however, the loss of competition through the granting sole rights to an individual or organization is justified only if it stimulates the economy and delivers goods that change people’s lives for the better.
Invention, though, is not innovation. It may take a couple of enthusiasts working evenings and weekends for a year or two--not to mention tens of thousands of dollars of their savings--to get a pet idea to the patenting stage. But that is just the beginning. Innovations based on patented inventions or discoveries can take teams of researchers, engineers and marketing experts a decade or more, and
A. "give up".
B. "break down".
C. "drop off".
D. "fall over".
Each day, computers help millions of people do the job more efficiently. For example, they can help managers decide on a future course of action, and they can then help with the follow-up checks on performance to see if planned goals are being achieved. By using accurate and timely facts supplied by database management software, a manager can do a better job of identifying problems and opportunities. The facts retrieved (检索;使恢复 ) by such software can then be manipulated by a spreadsheet package to help the manager plan to alternate courses of action. And managers may not need to spend as much time in controlling when a computer can respond with a triggered report if actual performance varies from what was planned. The time saved in controlling may allow managers to give more attention to employees’ concerns, and this, in turn, may result in improved morale (士气).
But employment benefits certainly aren’t restricted to managers. Health care researchers and other
A. Helping managers decide on a future course of action.
B. Helping managers check if planned goals are reached.
C. Helping managers save time in writing a report.
D. Helping managers design a spreadsheet package.
There are many things we can do to help ourselves to live longer. Fasten the safety belts each time we get into a car. Each year 10,000 lives could be saved by the use of safety belts. It is surprising then that not everyone wears them. Some people say they will never be in an accident be cause they are careful drivers. Such an excuse is weak. In fact, it is false. I have a friend named Jane Tailor. She is a safe driver, I think. One day, she was driving her car to the airport, but she did not have her safety belt on.: Suddenly a huge truck went through the Ted light. She was hit by it. The next thing she knew was that she was in the hospital. She suffered from a head injury and broken bones.
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