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Weekend With Warren: Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates on the tech patent wars and corruption in corporate Ame...
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This weekend you would not by apple.
Well I think that would know enough to buy apple yeah but I know I'm not gonna buy anything I don't feel I can.
Have a reasonable fix on what they're gonna look like in five or ten years and I certainly did have a reasonable fix I wish I had.
Ten years ago on apple I don't have one now I think it's a very it -- it's an amazing company but.
But there are lots of businesses I don't understand.
They'll attack -- companies have gotten so desperate to to have the latest and greatest technology that they're trying to buy -- In patents they're trying to buy chunks of patents you know with the Motorola mobility issued today a judge is going to consider I believe that.
Microsoft's complaint the Motorola's charging for what really should be.
Basic technology patents.
-- have the patent -- gotten a little out of hand.
-- I think the I did it invention is valuable.
And has become more obvious it was always true in the drug industry that the whole industry.
These miracle Madison's exist because patents are protecting.
That invention.
And fortunately.
We're seeing more more invention in many different areas BIT sectors got a -- that.
If you come up with renewable energy design that's gonna be protected by -- -- parents are important.
They are immensely complex and sometimes when people look at it.
Either.
Because of the complexity of the system because they have looked into it it seems strange to them but the idea that.
Invention has value I think that's.
An idea that's more and more important over time more.
Well I I agree I just about -- -- and that I think.
-- a couple of corporate scandals lately among them.
Apple and Foxconn Foxconn is one of the yacht manufacturers of components of Apple's -- products.
They -- accused of mistreating their workers and and in some cases under paying them.
Did apple -- that right I mean would you care if you found out that one of your company's under the Berkshire umbrella was by a lot of stuff from people -- -- to their workers.
Sure and we hope that.
-- all our companies are looking at.
All kinds of things including.
But if you have a very very large company it's something -- -- -- and and and right now I can tell you -- 270000.
Employees at Berkshire somebody's doing something they should.
I just hope that smaller hope we find out about our and then I hope -- is all in charge of that does something about it.
Probably but.
You cannot run a large.
You get a large army a capital large government bureau you can't from a large church you know without things going -- from time -- time it's gonna happen.
It is gonna happen but this Foxconn -- she was out there I mean WIRED Magazine a year and a half ago had a huge.
Front page story about a -- and I'm just wondering we have that ever happened deal Microsoft or do you feel would you look at that sick apple really should've.
Dealt with that much more quickly.
I think American companies overall.
Are improving labor conditions when -- vault and so.
In whether it's the foreign corrupt practices act or really looking down the supply chain and trying to make sure labor conditions were okay -- think American business.
Is it had a very positive the fact I don't know the specifics on the apple case.
But I know -- and they're not gonna try and take shortcuts and that way they're they're certainly very focused on on fixing any prop.
This at this point you mentioned the foreign corrupt practices act that's pretty controversial with Wal-Mart lately in a lot of people -- -- that's how you get business done in Mexico.
What's your response to that formal responses that we've got a four grew up for prejudice that added.
It may very well be that that's the -- -- is is -- out of Mexico but you better not go to your American corporation.
Maybe the crime was less important than the copper it's always a problem I'm in that it.
Yeah.
Like it's I know something is being honest -- temperature control what it -- -- and one warrant at somebody.
We're gonna -- you when you knew about it like the Wal-Mart top executives did.
Would you say don't be so aggressive on the now but I I think and I think almost all CEOs and I don't really know the facts and it it.
It certainly seems quite clear that was bribery and all that exactly what happened after that I'm not -- I'm not sure about but I.
I would think that there are very very few Americans CEOs that that is -- brought to their agenda if they find out about some problems that.
There are going to -- some do something about --
