Chapter 1195: Patent Troll

Zhou Andong greeted Zhou Anqin and the others: "You guys play; I have something to do, so I'll leave first."

"Big Brother, Sister-in-law!" Gao Xue waved: "I'll treat you to dinner when I have time."

Jian Qiu promised with a smile: "Okay."

The two left the photo studio, found Wu Chao, and got into the car parked on the roadside outside Xidan.

"Go to Courtyard No. 5."

Wu Chao started the car, and Zhou Andong asked: "Are the tickets to Nanhong City bought?"

"Bought." Wu Chao said: "The flight is at 9:15 tomorrow morning, and Tang Lin has been notified; he will pick us up at the airport."

Zhou Andong was about to say something when a bus flashed by, but he still saw it clearly: the Sony VCD bus body advertisement.

"Wife, did you see that just now?"

Jian Qiu was stunned: "See what?"

Zhou Andong said in a deep voice: "Sony's VCD bus body advertisement, that was the bus that just passed."

Jian Qiu shook her head: "Didn't notice."

"It's finally coming." Zhou Andong smiled: "A revolutionary era is coming."

Jian Qiu frowned slightly: "Don't they investigate whether VCD has applied for a patent?"

Zhou Andong smiled. Patents—how could they care about that stuff?

For example, Sony's founder claimed to be the creator of the portable music player concept, the Walkman, which made Sony's consumers all over the world.

However, they were sued by a German inventor because this inventor had already applied for several patents related to portable stereo system products two years before Sony launched the Walkman.

That is to say, Sony only started researching the Walkman after seeing this patent. And this lawsuit lasted for twenty years, finally reaching a settlement, with Sony paying several million euros in patent fees.

"A thief stealing things wouldn't care if the stolen goods have a legal certificate, right?" Zhou Andong snorted coldly, "Moreover, this thief is very powerful and arrogant. Even if they know you have a patent, they won't care."

Jian Qiu sighed: "Economy determines a country's social foundation, political and cultural status. In the final analysis, it's because we are too poor and weak. In such a big country, there isn't a single influential enterprise in the world, so it's no wonder those thieves don't take us seriously."

Zhou Andong was silent for a moment: "This is like a three-year-old child, without parents, without friends, not even having enough to eat, who suddenly picks up a gold brick. Do you think he can keep it?"

Jian Qiu looked at Zhou Andong sideways: "Then is it useless for us to apply for patents?"

Zhou Andong smiled, his smile looking very bright: "It's useful. If it weren't useful, why would I go to such great lengths and spend so much money to apply for them?"

Jian Qiu leaned her head on Zhou Andong's shoulder: "If one day we sue them for patent infringement, will we win?"

Zhou Andong hugged Jian Qiu's shoulder and kissed her on the head: "The patents we applied for, including the whole-machine patent, have passed PCT international certification. We definitely won't lose the lawsuit. It just depends on whether those thieves admit it and whether they pay our patent fees."

Jian Qiu pondered: "I think the possibility of them playing rogue is very high, or they will appeal to delay time. After all, this kind of lawsuit lasts for two or three years, and after an appeal, it's another two or three years. Dragging it out could be five or six years, or even ten or eight years."

Zhou Andong said with a smile: "If they dare not to admit it and don't pay our patent fees, then things will become very interesting."

"Oh?" Jian Qiu asked curiously: "What can you do?"

Zhou Andong looked out the car window at the street scene retreating rapidly: "If they play rogue with me, I'll play rogue with them. I'll let them know what the highest realm of a rogue is."

Jian Qiu chuckled: "Then tell me, what if they play rogue and just don't admit our patent and don't pay our patent fees?"

"Wife!" Zhou Andong took his gaze back: "Whether it's Sony or Philips, including electronic giants like Panasonic and Siemens, the proportion of patent revenue to total revenue has reached 30% to 50%.

If they don't admit the VCD patent we hold, I will take some of their products on the market—Walkmans, games, game consoles, headphones, etc. —

and have Yuzhou Technology copy them, then put them into the domestic market at a low price, including the third-world market, to fight a price war with them."

"Right!" Jian Qiu said with high spirits: "They don't admit our patent, so we don't admit their patent. Although the copied products involve patents and cannot be sold to countries like Europe and the United States.

But in the domestic and third-world markets, it's definitely no problem. By then, our products will be high-quality and inexpensive, and let's see how long they can hold on."

Zhou Andong said with a smile: "So, we are already too poor to wear clothes, so are we afraid of playing rogue with those who wear suits?"

At this time, the car stopped, and Wu Chao said: "Chairman, we're here."

Zhou Andong and Jian Qiu got out of the car, and the guard saluted when he saw them.

"Squad Leader Liu, you're on duty today. Go have a drink when you're off duty at night." Zhou Andong said with a smile.

Squad Leader Liu smiled, shook his head slightly, and didn't speak.

"Look at you..."

Zhou Andong wanted to say something else, but Jian Qiu pulled him into the gate.

"He's on duty. If you want to treat him to a drink, wait until he changes shifts."

"Fine!" Zhou Andong shouted back: "Don't leave after changing shifts; wait for me."

Jian Qiu pulled Zhou Andong into the courtyard.

Man Man Laoyezi Jian was watching TV in the living room, and seeing Zhou Andong enter, he said with a smile.

"You kid only come when you have something to do, but I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

Zhou Andong sat on the sofa and said nonsense: "It's Qiuqiu who misses you, so I accompanied her to come over."

"Really?" Man Man Laoyezi Jian didn't believe it in his eyes.

"Fake!" Jian Qiu rolled her eyes at Zhou Andong: "There's something important to tell you."

Man Man Laoyezi Jian asked with a smile: "What is it!"

Jian Qiu explained the situation, and the old man's face became very serious: "Is the news reliable?"

Zhou Andong nodded: "It's 90% credible."

The old man got up and went into the study, immediately dialing the General Administration of Customs.

It was more than half an hour before the old man came out of the study.

"Even if you didn't come today, I would have called you to come over."

Zhou Andong asked: "What's the matter?"

The old man sat back on the sofa: "About the Jinghua Mall."

Zhou Andong frowned, but didn't speak.

The old man said: "Jinghua Mall wants to cooperate with RT-Mart, but RT-Mart didn't agree."