When a customer is sued for unauthorized use of another person's patented technology, it can be explained from the following angles that its behavior may indirectly promote innovation and technological progress, while emphasizing the need to seek solutions within the legal framework.： --- ### 1. **The essence of the patent system is to balance protection and sharing** -**Theoretical basis**: The Patent Law gives the inventor temporary exclusive rights, and the disclosure of technical details in exchange for social benefits**. If the customer's usage behavior objectively accelerates the dissemination and application of technology, it may meet the deep goal of “promoting social progress” in the patent system. -**Example**: In the Ford and Selden patent case in the automobile industry in the early 20th century, the court finally found that Selden's patent scope was too wide, allowing Ford to continue production, thereby promoting explosive innovation in the automobile industry. ### 2. **The rationality of cumulative innovation and “technological improvement”** -*****: In technology-intensive fields (such as software and biomedicine), follow-up innovation often relies on existing technologies. If the customer makes **substantial improvements or new applications** on the basis of the patents of others, “derivative innovations” may be formed to promote technological progress. -**Legal support**: Some jurisdictions allow “experimental use” (such as a limited exemption from liability in the United States) or balance rights through “compulsory licensing” (common in drug patents). ### 3. **Market dynamics and competitive pressures** -**Economic perspective**: Moderate competition forces the original patentee to accelerate innovation. If the customer's use reveals the market potential of the original technology, it may stimulate the original inventor to iteratively upgrade and form an “innovation competition”. -**Case reference**: Multi-party patent litigation in the smart phone industry has objectively promoted rapid progress in touch screen technology, chip performance and other fields. ### 4. **Public interest and technology popularization** -**Humanitarian perspective**: If it involves public domain technologies such as medical care and environmental protection, unauthorized use may be regarded as **guaranteeing basic human rights** (such as India's compulsory license for some drug patents). -**Strategic recommendations**: Prove the value of the public interest in the popularization of technology, and strive for reconciliation or reduce compensation. ### 5. **Legal strategy: from defense to cooperation** -**Defense path**： -Challenge the validity of the patent (such as lack of novelty or creativity)； -Claim “exhaustion of rights” or "implied license”； -Invoking the anti-monopoly law to combat patent abuse. -**Cooperation orientation**: It is recommended that customers take the initiative to seek * *Cross-licensing**or **patent pool** participation to transform disputes into cooperation opportunities and jointly expand the technology ecosystem. --- ### Precautions： -**Risk warning**: Unauthorized use of a patent is still infringing in nature, and the legal consequences need to be carefully evaluated to avoid encouraging illegal acts. - **Ethical boundaries**: Emphasizes the importance of respecting intellectual property rights, and recommends that technology sharing be achieved through compliance channels (such as open source agreements and patent purchases). -**Long-term strategy**: Promote customers to establish patent early warning mechanisms, layout their own patent portfolios, and reduce future risks with ”defensive innovation". The ultimate goal is to transform the “side effects” of technology diffusion into opportunities to promote industry progress through consultation or defense within the legal framework, while safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of customers.