"Reaction [beta]"
Audi vs. NASA 26 Feb 2007
"To date, NASA has filed 6,509 patents. In developing the A6, Audi filed 9,621."
This is surely the dumbest ad on British TV at the moment (or more specifically, the dumbest tag line). Firstly, the comparison is unfair because NASA contracts out the majority of its work to Grumman, Rockwell North American, Boeing, Morton Thiokol, Lockheed and thousands of other smaller businesses. So it's these companies that hold all the patents, rather than NASA.
Secondly, there is no link between the number of patents and innovation. Recent research from Booz Allen Hamilton, who studied 1000 companies that do serious research and development, confirms this (link requires registration). Booz's findings show that few patents actually have any real impact on innovation, and that the most innovative concepts often have no patents connected with them at all. Patents, they also found, show no statistical relationship to profits or future success. In fact, if anything, patents are perhaps best at holding back innovation.
</rant>
[via Techdirt / Hammer and Feather]
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8 comments so far
minxlj 26 Feb 2007 04:10 PM
ah, but advertising needs no actual truth and direct links, just a tedious misconception that 99% of its viewers will mindlessly accept!
I rolled my eyes in disbelief after first seeing the Audi ad. Building an Audi is hardly like going into bloody space, is it??
Aaron 26 Feb 2007 04:33 PM
My first reaction was how come Audi owns so few patents? The company can trace its origins back to 1899 and as such had a 59 year headstart on Nasa.
Mick 27 Feb 2007 12:27 AM
Yeah, Audi's claim is a bit like saying "I am better at drawing than you, because I own the most pencils".
Simon 27 Feb 2007 09:42 AM
minxlj, Aaron, Mick: Thanks for your comments, good to know that I'm not the only one who thinks this ad's ridiculous! Love the analogy Mick :-)
AudiClub 12 Mar 2008 08:52 PM
I am an Audi fan, but I can only agree it is a stupid ad. I hate manipulative advertising. Audi can be proud with so many real innovations and I would prefer an advertising that speaks technical language than this nonsense.
Technology Transfer University 14 Mar 2008 09:30 PM
What about the last part? Were they building the latest A6 or some new advanced nuclear-class submarine? I'm sorry, I just don't get the whole point of the ad.
Matt 4 Apr 2008 12:42 PM
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