Chapter 27 Intellectual Property Issues

"This slave owner is boasting about his own successor. Why didn't the Union Army replicate the Alexandria fire and rush into Texas to wipe out these bastards, so as to avoid the trouble they are causing us today?" Alfred DuPont was indignant holding the newspaper, and he had a deep hatred for his direct competitor.

The most important thing is that there were many other DuPont competitors in the North, while the Sheffield family in the Southern states stood out, not to mention the gap after the Civil War, which hindered DuPont's development to the South.

In the past few years, since the death of the second-generation head, the development of the DuPont family has declined. Alfred was anxious but there was nothing he could do.

"Let's put this idea aside. I don't believe that the food chain was created by a child. Maybe it was bought by Madam Anna. We should have known for so many years that this lady is not an easy person to deal with. Her husband was not the eldest son. His husband's brother and others got into trouble one after another. Maybe it was Madam Anna who contributed to it." Thomas Dupont lit a cigar and shook his head with a hint of smoke. "We all know her ability. It's a pity that her son is not that good."

"We are the ones who are not doing well now. Since Eugene took over the company, the family business has not been going well." Alfred sighed heavily. "The old guys on the board of directors are not interested in anything except dividends. What should we do if this continues?"

"You are a member of the board of directors. This has nothing to do with me!" Thomas DuPont blew out a smoke ring and said with a hint of aftertaste, "Cigars are good things, but unfortunately they are tightly controlled by these Dixies, and I really can't get involved. In fact, think about it, how can a company not have competitors? Our company originally helped the Union Army to manufacture arms, and the Sheffield family supported the Confederate Army. It's impossible for us to make all the money. In fact, the Civil War also weakened the Sheffield family. You have to know how much money Mrs. Anna made from the labor trade back then."

"Why don't Northerners like to buy guns?" Alfred DuPont complained indignantly, not realizing at all that his company made money from human lives. Citizens owning guns is a right of free states guaranteed by the Constitution, but it has developed so well in the South. How can this be justified?

Although cowboys also originated in Texas, the trend has passed. So when Sheffield suddenly saw him in cowboy clothes, his surprise was obvious. The cowboy hat, lasso, and revolver were all made in Habsburg's own factory. After a while, he slowly passed by the 40 or 50 people in front of him, taking in all the basic package groups, and said, "You haven't been back to Texas for a few years, right?"

Cowboy culture is rare now, and it's hard not to make Sheffield suspicious when seeing these people dressed in such basic outfits.

"Aunt Padella, could you please tell grandma to change her clothes? We are going to Europe, not California, and we will go there later, not now." Sheffield turned and said with a smile to the servant beside Annabell.

Sheffield had no doubt at all about the professionalism of these slave hunters... well, the employees of Black Gold Company, which could be seen from the calluses on their hands. Each of them must have experienced many stories in life, and there must have been no accidents, otherwise they would not be able to stand in front of him alive and well.

However, if he took this cowboy package to Europe, it would be too alternative and too ostentatious, which did not conform to his life ideal. He went to Europe for a formal inspection, not to emulate his father who had lost contact with him and had prostitution in Paris.

"What's your name!" It was only now that Sheffield remembered that he had not asked the other person's name. He always claimed to be a polite person, which was a bit unreasonable. Also for the sake of getting along with each other before the European trip, he asked.

"John Connor! I am the captain of this team. I will take care of your safety in Europe." John Connor looked at Sheffield and spoke with a hint of arrogance.

"Oh! What a good name!" Sheffield took a tactical step back and looked around naturally. It was an open area with many maids taking care of flowers and plants. None of them looked like Terminator T1000. "Thank you for taking care of me after I got on board. I'll rest in the manor for a few days. It's been a long journey since I came here from Haiti, so I'll take a rest first."

Sheffield turned around and made a weird expression when no one saw him. What a crappy name.

It is actually too early to set off now. Before leaving, Sheffield must conduct a survey of the current characteristics of the industrial fields of European countries and the United States. This is actually not difficult, as long as the right direction is found.

After some investigation, Sheffield couldn't help but sigh that it was really like that! With many years of experience in reading newspapers, he could receive two completely opposite messages from newspapers, and the frequency of their occurrence was extremely high.

On the one hand, many people are proud of the speed of development of the United States, and have a strong sense of pride in their hearts, believing that the arrival of the American century is not far away. On the other hand, European countries are in a leading position, and everything starts in Europe and then spreads to the United States.

Many people hope that the United States can be recognized by European countries. It is very common for European nobles to marry wealthy people in the United States, especially for European noble men to marry wealthy women in the United States. Many wealthy people talk about this with great relish and often mention the noble status of their marriage partners.

Even the mansions of many famous rich people have the shadow of European architecture and castles. To put it bluntly, they are all copied from the mountains. And many people think this way. No wonder Annabell said that many Yankees worship foreign things, if the word "worship foreign things" can be used to describe it.

The current United States of America is a complete copycat empire. Intellectual property rights are almost non-existent. The extent of its disrespect for intellectual property rights is only comparable to that of the Soviet Union, the rival of the United States that has not yet been born. The Soviet Union believed that intellectual property rights and patents were a means of exploitation and therefore did not recognize them.

The United States is not so particular. If you invent something, I will just copy it. Anyway, I do not recognize the intellectual property rights of European countries, and you cannot win the lawsuit. Therefore, the United States does not have a good impression in the academic world and in the eyes of European countries. It is just a copycat empire.

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Sheffield was waiting for his family to find out the overlaps between the disputed patents and intellectual property rights and to prepare for another trip to Europe. Before the Civil War, the Northerners organized the Underground Railroad to steal the labor of the Dixies, so they were known as Yankee Thieves among the people in the Southern states.

Sheffield strongly agreed with the title of Yankee thief. He wanted to be a serious businessman and was ready to discuss intellectual property issues with European countries.

(End of this chapter)