Chapter 1736: Excluding Suspicion, New Patent Law

Feisu Chinese.

Thinking of this, Iolum put away the Warp Beast Bone and said to Xia Duo, "I agree to this matter, but if you want to persuade the Seven Towers to follow suit, you will need to hand over some of the data on the Conductive Crystal to them. Are you willing?"

"I have no objections. I hope to see the breeding farm built as soon as possible. Additionally, if they make any progress in researching the Warp Beast Bone, I hope to be kept informed."

Although Xia Duo would have preferred to build the breeding farm himself, or have Iolum step in to have the Arcane Union build it, the farm was ultimately to be built in the Ether Overlap Region, a matter that simply could not bypass the Seven Towers.

Rather than engaging in various disputes later, or even harboring resentment, it was better to lay everything out on the table now. Given the current situation, he and the Seven Towers still had more value in cooperating for a considerable time to come.

However, at the thought of the Verdant Tower Alliance in the south, a shadow fell over Xia Duo's heart. Since Iolum happened to be here, he could not help but ask:

"What is Teacher's view on the Verdant Tower Alliance? Is it possible that Keluosi is being commanded by the Seven Towers behind the scenes?"

"Why would you think that?"

Iolum gave Xia Duo a strange look and then said, "I have also seen the recent changes in the Verdant Tower Alliance, and that absolutely cannot be at the command of the Seven Towers. There are no secrets in this world that can be hidden forever; if Keluosi were truly backed by the Seven Towers, the Seven Towers would likely fall apart from within immediately."

"In other words, this possibility cannot be ruled out yet?" Xia Duo asked in return.

"I understand what you want to say, but I must tell you that the foundation of Netheril's existence is the Seville Covenant. As long as no extreme circumstances arise, it is impossible for the Seven Towers to voluntarily abandon the covenant; there is no benefit in it for them."

After finishing, Iolum added, "You must know that the Seven Towers is not just seven factions, but seven camps composed of numerous forces! Even if they really wanted to embark on a path of centralization, it would only start from within the Seven Towers, not from the outside, and certainly not the Verdant Tower. In fact, from the moment Her Highness the Princess successfully achieved Ascension to Godhood, the path of centralization for the Seven Towers was completely blocked."

With Iolum saying this, Xia Duo realized that he had indeed overlooked the influence of the Princess before. In a sense, the Princess was the embodiment of the Seville Covenant; as long as the Princess did not fall, the covenant would naturally not fall.

The Seven Towers would naturally not speak recklessly. Taking a step back, even if the Verdant Tower Alliance were some kind of attempt by the Seven Towers, they would never dare to openly admit it, nor would they be involved, and they would even go to great lengths to distance themselves.

"Since that is the case, then I am relieved about some things."

"Relieved about what? Did Keluosi provoke you?" Iolum asked curiously.

"It doesn't count as provoking me, just some commercial disputes. The Verdant Tower is wantonly imitating the Communication Magic Tool of the Tower of Time in the south. If it weren't commanded by the Seven Towers, I think Keluosi should have shown some response!"

"Imitating the Communication Magic Tool?"

Iolum seemed to have thought of something and immediately frowned. "Although the Magic Net Background Communication spell is a patent of Giles Tower, Keluosi clearly has authorization. If it is only imitating the Communication Magic Tool, strictly speaking, neither you nor Giles Tower has the right to pursue it. If this kind of thing is investigated deeply, stains can be found on everyone."

"Then it can only be resolved privately in the name of personal grievances?" Xia Duo also frowned.

"I also do not suggest you resolve it privately."

"Then am I just supposed to let him take advantage of me?"

In fact, because of this matter, Xia Duo had repeatedly delayed the release plan for the Second Generation Communication Magic Device, which had already achieved mass production. If it could not be properly resolved, even if the Second Generation Communication Magic Device were released, it would only benefit Keluosi's Verdant Tower Alliance.

Especially since the Second Generation Communication Magic Device did not actually have very complex encryption measures set up for the convenience of ordinary individual users.

Xia Duo could tolerate individual users imitating it for the purpose of learning or research—it didn't affect the sales of the Communication Magic Tool anyway—but large-scale imitation and sales in the name of an organization was just disgusting.

When it comes down to it, it is because Netheril lacks a relatively perfect Patent Law, and there are too few restrictions on Great Arcanists.

Take Xia Duo himself, for example: as long as no other Great Arcanist stands up to explicitly oppose him, he can basically do whatever he wants!

Even if other Great Arcanists stood up to explicitly oppose him, he could completely form factions and continue to struggle. As long as he didn't provoke public anger, it would basically not be difficult to get through.

This time it was Keluosi imitating the Tower of Time's Communication Magic Tool; if it were the Seven Towers imitating it, Xia Duo wouldn't even have the thought of counter-attacking.

Even with Keluosi, Xia Duo had delayed deciding how to handle it because he was considering the possibility of the Seven Towers behind him.

Even now that he knew there was a high probability that the Seven Towers did not exist behind Keluosi, Iolum had also said that it could only be resolved privately in the name of personal grievances, and he did not even suggest resolving it privately.

"Teacher, then what should I do now? Am I supposed to do nothing?"

"Of course not!" A firm light shone in Iolum's eyes. "Although this matter is very tricky, it may not be a rare opportunity!"

"What opportunity?"

"An opportunity to reform the existing patent system!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Xia Duo immediately reacted. The reason he couldn't pursue Keluosi now was simply that there was no relevant consensus for everyone to (be forced to) support his pursuit.

At the current stage, Netheril's patent system only guarantees registered Spell Patent, and does not guarantee anything else, including unregistered spells and all Magic Item design plans.

In fact, Magic Item design cannot be registered for a patent at all; only unregistered new spells can apply for a Spell Patent.

This has led to a fact—

Although imitation does indeed infringe on one party's interests, it is only a private interest, so it can only be handled in the form of personal grievances.

If the imitating party is powerful and has extensive connections, the imitated party is completely unable to stop them, let alone make the other party pay a price.

But if the scope of patents is expanded to include Magic Item design plans, then what the imitating party infringes upon is not just the private interests of the imitated party, but the collective order maintained by all Great Arcanists.

What is usually referred to as "provoking public anger" refers to this.

But the premise is that it must have indeed violated a resolution that all Great Arcanists have reached a consensus on. For example, large-scale creation of Undead is identified as a necromancer, and everyone is entitled to punish them.

And a specific resolution does not need all Great Arcanists to agree; it only needs to follow the minority obeying the majority under the broad framework of "collective order."

Because collective order maintains the common interests of all Great Arcanists and even all Netherese Mages, it is not limited to the interests referred to by a specific resolution.

In other words, unless Keluosi opposes all common interests and becomes a public enemy of everyone, he simply cannot resist the new Patent Law.

But the premise is that one can truly persuade most Great Arcanists to support the new Patent Law.

"Then Teacher's meaning is—"