X-Message-Number: 6574
From: John de Rivaz <>
Newsgroups: sci.cryonics
Subject: Re: Prometheus - Commerical value of results
Date: Sun, 21 Jul 1996 16:19:05 +0100
Message-ID: <>
References: <4sktha$>

Some comments have been raised about the commercial value of results 
from Prometheus that a royalty of $50-100k would need to be levied on 
each suspension using them. The argument, if I have understood it 
correctly, is that that would produce the sort of return to 
stock owners required from the financial risk involved. Also this takes 
no account of the materials and services required to perform the 
procedure developed. It could be that these would add a few more 
hundreds of dollars to each suspension.

Has anyone considered the value of technological spin-offs? Pure science 
research shows no direct commercial benefit. Yet there is value doing 
it, as much is performed by for-profit organisations in capitalist 
underregulated economies. [ref New Scientist "You have got it all wrong" 
by Terence Kealey, 29 June 1996 page 22] 

If you started a company, said that you were going to staff it with 
several top scientists, engineers and technologists, gave them some 
capital for plant, and some stock options for motivation, and a minimal 
salary and then told them to do what they liked for the next ten years, 
then the chances are that you'd get something useful at the end, or even 
before the end. (Assuming, of course, that they are honourable and enter 
into the spirit of the enterprise.)

Any apparently "useless" project, such as putting a man on the moon, 
produces some items of value. If the core function of reversibly 
cryo-preserving the human brain is regarded, from an economic point of 
view, as being useless (ie you don't charge royalties) then there may be 
enough value from side products built for the core project to provide 
some income. 

Unless there is no longer any freedom to contract in the USA, as long as 
every single investor knows that royalties will not be charged on the 
core project, I see no faud involved. It could be stated that any 
product used for the purposes of cryonic suspension would not be royalty 
charged, but other products developed for other purposes would be 
subject to royalty. But then I like to think of myself as a sensible man 
- I am not a lawyer!

-- 
Sincerely,     ****************************************
               * Publisher of        Longevity Report *
John de Rivaz  *                     Fractal Report   *
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