Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca!mroussel
From: mroussel@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca (Marc Roussel)
Subject: Re: A sad day...
Message-ID: <1991Mar11.194107.13836@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>
Organization: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto
References: <1991Mar8.224947.9610@digi.lonestar.org> <1991Mar9.053927.20136@kessner.denver.co.us> <11132@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Date: Mon, 11 Mar 1991 19:41:07 GMT

In article <11132@jarthur.Claremont.EDU> jokim@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (John H.
Kim) writes:
>OK.  So what can WE do to tell all these lawyers to go to h*ll with
>their lawsuits?  Consumer purchasing power is out because most people
>buy computers based on what the computer offers, not what the company
>is litigating over.  Have the lawyers protected themselves with so
>much legal red tape that we're helpless, or is there something we can
>do to have our opinions heard?

There are two things you can do in a common law jurisdiction:
      a) Hire your own lawyer and have him seek amicus curiae status
	 in the court cases of interest.  Unfortunately, most of us
	 can't afford that.
      b) Lobby your politicians.  In Canada, this will cost you an
	 enveloppe and a piece of paper (no stamp).  Elsewhere, you
	 might have to pay for postage.

     It comes down to this: your typical politician is a sub-imbecile
who only understands letters, phone calls and lobbyists.  You can't blame
companies for attempting to maximize their revenues in whatever way possible.
You can blame your legislators for not fixing laws which are clearly not
having their intended effects.
				   
				Marc R. Roussel
                                mroussel@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca