30+mba-第55部分

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Kerviel　plans　to　file　a　plaint　for　unfair　dismissal　and　extract　
pensation　from　his　employer　based　around　three　points　of　defence。　
First；　Societé　Générale　appears　to　have　terminated　his　contract　without　
a　face…to…face　meeting；　as　is　required　by　French　labour　laws。　
Second；　the　bank’s　losses　may　only　have　occurred　while　unwinding　
Kerviel’s　positions　in　January　2008；　during　what　was　an　unprecedented　
period　of　global　stock　market　turbulence。　This　situation　makes　it　unclear　
exactly　how　much　responsibility　Kerviel　bears　for　the　total　losses。　
Third；　he　had　no　obvious　motive　and　seems　to　have　made　no　personal　
profit　from　his　trades。　In　fact　his　behaviour　has　made　him　a　folk　hero　in　
France；　with　over　150　Facebook　groups　showing　an　interest　in　his　fate。　
His　chances　of　success　in　an　unfair　dismissal　case　look　at　least　fair。　In　
April　2007；　Laura　Zubulake；　44；　won　￡15。5　million　from　UBS　in　New　York　
after　a　male　executive　said　she　was　fired　because　she　was　‘old　and　
ugly　and　she　can’t　do　the　job’。　Three　years　earlier；　Elizabeth　Weston　
received　a　￡1　million　settlement　from　Merrill　Lynch　over　a　colleague’s　
‘lewd’　ments　over　a　Christmas　lunch。　
Although　Kerviel’s　actions　put　him　at　the　top　of　the　‘rogue　trader’　list；　
he　is　unlikely　to　head　the　unfair　dismissal　stakes。　That　title　is　likely　to　go　
to　six　women；　five　female　employees　in　New　York　and　one　at　London　
office　of　German…owned　bank　Dresdner　Kleinwort　Wasserstein　（DKW）。　
They　are　suing　for　￡800　million　over　allegations　that　the　pany　
refused　to　promote　them　and　discriminated　against　them　by　allowing　
after…hours　trips　to　strip　clubs　for　male　colleagues　and　humiliating　sexual　
banter　in　the　office。
186　The　Thirty…Day　MBA　
the　market。　It　is　equally　important　that　such　an　advantage　cannot　be　easily　
copied。　In　other　words；　there　is　a　barrier　to　entry　preventing　others　from　
following　the　same　path　to　riches。　The　advantage　can　be　anything　–　the　
business　name　（Body　Shop）；　a　catchy　slogan　（Never　knowingly　undersold　
–　John　Lewis）；　some　technological　wizardry　（Dolby　Noise　Reduction）；　an　
instantly　recognizable　logo　（Google）　or　even　a　jingle　such　as　that　used　by　
Microso。。’s　Windows　operating　system　during　start…up。　
The　generic　title　covering　this　area　is　‘intellectual　property’；　usually　
shortened　by　MBAs　to　IP；　and　it　splits　down　into　a　number　of　distinct　areas。　
Businesses　spend　a　lot　of　time　and　money　creating　and　protecting　IP；　so　you　
need　at　least　an　appreciation　of　the　legal　issues　involved。　The　case　below　
is　an　example　of　how　things　can　go　wrong　from　the　outset。　You　should　
also　read　up　about　Dyson’s　‘Patent　Nightmare’　（dyson。uk/about/　
story/patent。asp）；　as　graphic　a　description　of　a　contest　between　David　and　
Goliath　as　you　are　likely　to　find。　
When　Mark　Zucherberg；　then　aged　20；　started　Facebook　from　his　
college　dorm　back　in　2004　with　two　fellow　students；　he　could　hardly　
have　been　aware　of　how　the　business　would　pan　out。　Facebook　is　a　
social　networking　website　on　which　users　have　to　put　their　real　names　
and　e…mail　addresses　in　order　to　register；　then　they　can　contact　current　
and　past　friends　and　colleagues　to　swap　photos；　news　and　gossip。　
Within　three　years　the　pany　was　on　track　to　make　100　million　sales；　
partly　on　the　back　of　a　big　order　from　Microsoft　that　appears　to　have　
set　its　sights　on　Facebook　as　either　a　partner　or　an　acquisition　target。　
Zuckerberg；　wearing　jeans；　Adidas　sandals　and　a　fleece；　looks　a　bit　
like　a　latter…day　Steve　Jobs；　Apple’s　founder。　He　also　shares　something　
else　in　mon　with　Jobs。　He　has　a　gigantic　intellectual　property　legal　
dispute　on　his　hands。　For　three　years　he　has　been　dealing　with　a　law　suit　
brought　by　three　fellow　Harvard　students　who　claim；　in　effect；　that　he　
stole　the　Facebook　concept　from　them。　
Patents　
A　patent　can　be　regarded　as　a　contract　between　an　inventor　and　the　state。　
The　state　agrees　with　the　inventor　that　if　he　or　she　is　prepared　to　publish　
details　of　the　invention　in　a　set　form　and　if　it　appears　that　he　or　she　has　made　
a　real　advance；　the　state　will　then　grant　the　inventor　a　‘monopoly’　on　the　
invention　for　20　years。　The　inventor　uses　the　monopoly　period　to　manufacture　
and　sell　his　or　her　innovation；　petitors　can　read　the　published　
specifications　and　glean　ideas　for　their　research；　or　they　can　approach　the　
inventor　and　offer　to　help　to　develop　the　idea　under　licence。
Business　Law　187　
However；　the　granting　of　a　patent　doesn’t　mean　that　the　proprietor　is　
automatically　free　to　make；　use　or　sell　the　invention　him…　or　herself；　since　to　
do　so　might　involve　infringing　an　earlier　patent　that　has　not　yet　expired。　
A　patent　really　only　allows　the　inventor　to　stop　another　person　using　
the　particular　device　that　forms　the　subject　of　the　patent。　The　state　does　not　
guarantee　validity　of　a　patent　either；　so　it　is　not　unmon　for　patents　to　be　
challenged　through　the　courts。　
What　you　can　patent　
What　inventions　can　you　patent？　The　basic　rules　are　that　an　invention　must　
be　new；　must　involve　an　inventive　step　and　must　be　capable　of　industrial　
exploitation。　
You　can’t　patent　scientific/mathematical　theories　or　mental　processes；　
puter　programs　or　ideas　that　might　encourage　offensive；　immoral　
or　antisocial　behaviour。　New　medicines　are　patentable　but　not　medical　
methods　of　treatment。　Neither　can　you　have　just　rediscovered　a　longforgo
。。en　idea　（knowingly　or　unknowingly）。　
If　you　want　to　apply　for　a　patent；　it　is　essential　not　to　disclose　your　idea　
in　non…confidential　circumstances。　If　you　do；　your　invention　is　already　
‘published’　in　the　eyes　of　the　law；　and　this　could　well　invalidate　your　
application。　
Copyright　
Copyright　gives　protection　against　the　unlicensed　copying　of　original　
artistic　and　creative　works　–　articles；　books；　paintings；　films；　plays；　songs；　
music；　engineering　drawings。　To　claim　copyright；　the　item　in　question　
should　carry　this　symbol：　。　（author’s　name）　（date）。　You　can　take　the　
further　step　of　recording　the　date　on　which　the　work　was　pleted；　for　
a　moderate　fee；　with　the　Registrar　at　Stationers’　Hall。　This；　though；　is　an　
unusual　precaution　to　take　and　probably　only　necessary　if　you　anticipate　
an　infringement。　
Copyright　protection　in　the　UK　lasts　for　70　years　a。。er　the　death　of　the　
person　who　holds　the　copyright；　or　50　years　a。。er　publication　if　this　is　
later。　
Copyright　is　infringed　only　if　more　than　a　‘substantial’　part　of　your　work　
is　reproduced　（ie　issued　for　sale　to　the　public）　without　your　permission；　but　
since　there　is　no　formal　registration　of　copyright　the　question　of　whether　or　
not　your　work　is　protected　usually　has　to　be　decided　in　a　court　of　law。　
Designs　
You　can　register　the　shape；　design　or　decorative　features　of　a　mercial　
product　if　it　is　new；　original；　never　published　before　or　–　if　already　known　
188　The　Thirty…Day　MBA　
–　never　before　applied　to　the　product　you　have　in　mind。　Protection　is　
intended　to　apply　to　industrial　articles　to　be　produced　in　quantities　of　more　
than　50。　Design　registration　applies　only　to　features　that　appeal　to　the　eye　
–　not　to　the　way　the　article　functions。　
To　register　a　design；　you　should　apply　to　the　Design　Registry　and　send　
a　specimen　or　photograph　of　the　design　plus　a　registration　fee　（currently　
￡90）。　The　specimen　or　photograph　is　examined　to　see　whether　it　is　new　
or　original　and　plies　with　other　registration　requirements。　If　it　does；　
a　certification　of　registration　is　issued　which　gives　you；　the　proprietor；　the　
sole　right　to　manufacture；　sell　or　use　in　business　articles　of　that　design。　
Protection　lasts　for　a　maximum　of　25　years。　You　can　handle　the　design　
registration　yourself；　but；　again；　it　might　be　preferable　to　let　a　specialist　do　
it　for　you。　There　is　no　register　of　design　agents；　but　most　patent　agents　are　
well　versed　in　design　law。　
Trademarks　and　logos　
A　trademark　is　the　symbol　by　which　the　goods　or　services　of　a　particular　
manufacturer　or　trader　can　be　identified。　It　can　be　a　word；　a　signature；　a　
monogram；　a　picture；　a　logo　or　a　bination　of　these。　
To　qualify　for　registration　the　trademark　must　be　distinctive；　must　not　
be　deceptive　and　must　not　be　capa