Chapter 985 - They Are Dead!
985 They Are Dead!
The third week of May.
While the alternative energy industry was going through a thunderstorm, a message from the US Department of Commerce added oil to the fire.
A spokesperson from the Department of Commerce spoke toward a row of cameras at a press conference.
"After a week-long investigation, we have conducted forensics on 16 alternative energy companies around the world and have consulted industry leaders.
"We have enough evidence to suspect that Star Sky Technology is conducting monopolistic behavior.
"In addition, we have noticed that the charging station subsidiary of Star Sky Technology has adopted malicious business methods when competing with Tesla's charging station business in the Yangtze River Delta city group area. They have set up exclusive thresholds that violate free trades and hinder the development of the industry.
"Because of this, we will bring a lawsuit on the legality of the SH standard.
"Considering the fact that the SH standard is one of the pieces of evidence that Star Sky Technology is interfering with the free market, this case will be conducted in conjunction with an antitrust investigation!"
The press conference was in an uproar.
The reporters at the scene rushed forward, like sharks that smelled blood. They desperately took photos, capturing every expression of the spokesperson.
The SH standard is illegal!
The US Department of Commerce is going to launch an antitrust investigation against Star Sky Technology!
As expected, the development of China's new energy industry finally alerted the United States.
Both the White House and the United States Congress could no longer turn a blind eye to this.
It was foreseeable that the entire energy industry would go through a drastic change, due to the actions of the Department of Commerce!
The reporters at the scene could already imagine the newspaper headlines.
The newspapers would be talking about this for the next month!
Shortly after the Department of Commerce press conference, the content of the press conference was released online.
Discussions began to explode on social networks such as Facebook.
In the blink of an eye, whether it was academia or industry, whether it was Wall Street, investment banks, or blue-collar workers, everyone was talking about this.
[I think it's about time the White House makes a move!]
[Those people are erroneously using legal loopholes to achieve their motives! They are destroying capitalism!]
[I think the Qi standard is good, it should be compatible with electric vehicles, so why should I use the SH standard? Can't the Chinese just do things our way?]
[F*ck, why do we have to use your standards! Why don't you get a lithium-air battery patent then!]
[Don't forget, the lithium-air battery patents actually belong to ExxonMobil.]
[Nonsense! I heard the mathematical model used by Professor Stanley was stolen from Professor Lu.]
[That's ridiculous, it sounds like you're in academia as well, do you really believe that?]
It seemed like there were two sides to the debates; one side believed the US Department of Commerce, while the other side believed that the act of suppressing high-tech enterprises in other countries was worse than setting up patent barriers.
Simply put, patent barriers were a common thing; any companies dedicated to research and development would do everything they could to protect their intellectual property rights.
After all, if they couldn't own their technology, why would anyone conduct risky and costly research and development?
Therefore, it was unreasonable to interfere with Star Sky Technology's rights to exercise their patents, on the grounds of affecting industry development.
However, when one enterprise had the strength to influence a country, they were no longer just an enterprise.
In some sense, it was only a matter of time before the United States took action on Star Sky Technology.
Even if the SH standard didn't happen, someone else in the future would have triggered this investigation.
The Americans would never allow another company like Qualcomm to exist; a company that used their patents to monopolize the entire industry.
Putting it bluntly, a third world country like China trying to overtake America in terms of science and technology was a sin in their eyes…
Because of this, there were also people on the neutral side of all this.
The SH standard was just a market move with no political purpose. But the US Department of Commerce investigation would raise the tensions between the two countries…
From the perspective of the Americans, this was not a good thing.
In fact, this was what people were worried about.
Once a conflict began, it would take a war for it to stop.
The day after the Department of Commerce press conference, the Justice Department also expressed that after reviewing the patent acquisition case from six years ago, the company that bought the patents from ExxonMobil, which was a shell company of Star Sky Technology, used questionable business tactics.
Also, the acquisition itself was suspected of contract fraud!
The former ExxonMobil employee that signed the patent transfer admitted that he received a US$500,000 "bribe" from Star Sky Technology.
If this allegation turned out to be true, the patent acquisition from six years ago could be labeled illegal.
And it might be possible for ExxonMobil to retrieve caged carbon molecules patent…
Without having to pay money…
…
ExxonMobil office.
Professor Stanley pushed the door open and walked in. He stared at Woods like he was a monster.
"Are you crazy? You know we stole—secretly borrowed the data from them. I don't know why the Chinese didn't chase after us, but we're the ones that stole that patent!"
"I think a scholar like you should just stay in the laboratory." Woods smiled and said, "Regardless of how we obtained the data, the court is all about evidence. Do you know what I mean, Professor Stanley?"
Woods obviously didn't care.
The only thing he cared about was a success.
However, unlike him, Professor Stanley was a scholar, not a businessman.
He wasn't willing to do anything shameless and disgraceful!
"There is evidence!"
Professor Stanley said to Woods, "You don't get it! People in academia have been talking about the mathematical model used in the caged carbon molecules, and the data processing was almost exactly the same as the 2018 Nobel Prize results! Some people even said that my name should be on the Nobel Prize!"
Woods: "Isn't that a good thing?"
"Not good at all!" Professor Stanley said angrily, "This thing was almost over, but because of the patent, people are digging up this story again!"
Woods frowned and spoke casually.
"I don't know a lot about academia, but you're not guilty, right? People suspect you are, but they don't have any evidence."
"I just want to tell you that, if they bring this to court, you won't be able to win over the jury!"
"This is a lawsuit, there won't be a jury." Woods smiled and looked at Stanley as he said, "Don't worry, my friend… Also, do you want to work here again? Don't tell me you came all the way to talk about this boring stuff."
"I'm too stupid! I shouldn't have come here, you don't understand what I'm talking about!" Stanley continued, "You're going further and further down the wrong path, you're the one being ignorant."
"You're overcomplicating things." Woods shrugged and said, "Do you really think we're going to play a fair game with them? This is the White House, no one on this planet can go against them."
Woods smiled at Professor Stanley.
"It doesn't matter if the patent belongs to them.
"Just know that they are screwed!"