"I personally very much agree with that point. With our two companies joining forces, I wouldn't dare say we'd be without rivals in the United States, but there wouldn't be many who could be called our equals!" Sheffield heartily concurred.
"And I currently have a rather suitable opportunity where we can demonstrate the sincerity of our cooperation through a joint effort. A good foundation at the start can greatly benefit our partnership, showing the sincerity of both sides."
"Mutual trust is more important than anything!" Little Rockefeller said with a double meaning. "Actually, there is something I really need the Sheffield family's help with right now. You see, the federal government is always making trouble for my family. Is it possible to temporarily halt the investigation into trusts?"
"Stopping this investigation is easy enough, but it will come sooner or later. However, of course, we can cooperate on this point." Sheffield nodded, indicating their shared stance. After a moment of thought, he continued, "At least we can buy more preparation time. At least within this administration, preventing it from continuing the investigation is easy. Speaking of law, I actually also have something I need your help with, also a legal matter."
The antitrust law, actually called the anti-trust law, had been around for quite a few years and had been enacted five years prior. This timing coincided perfectly with Standard Oil's massive expansion, so it could be said that this law was aimed directly at Rockefeller from the very beginning.Rockefeller's development had been threatened by antitrust laws for several years.
However, Sheffield knew that this law was not yet a significant threat. It still had many loopholes and needed more explicit clauses to supplement it.
"You can tell me about it," Little Rockefeller said noncommittally, appearing all ears."In various European countries, I have obtained many authorized patents!" Sheffield spoke eloquently. "As it stands now, competition in various industries domestically is fierce, and the barrier to entry for opening factories is not high. It can be said that new companies are established every day, and we don't know which of these companies will not last long, and which will become our competitors. Now, we must raise this barrier to entry and reduce the entry of competitors. This is not impossible; we need to pay more attention to intellectual property rights, and the level of importance attached to patents must also be increased."
Sheffield wanting to use the patent cudgel to clear the field was not a recent idea. It had been his main purpose for going to Europe. However, this matter was not easy either. If he relied solely on his family's influence, or the power of a single political party, the chances of failure were very high.After all, even though they were deeply tied to the Democratic Party, the Sheffield family didn't have the power to treat the Democratic Party like a dog.
For a new patent law to successfully emerge, it was necessary to unite a broad coalition of allies to increase their own strength. Forming a joint force to jointly promote the implementation of the law was not a problem one family could solve.Even with Rockefeller and Sheffield pushing together, there was still no guarantee of complete success.
It would be best to bring in more partners. Now was about the time to show the solidarity of the capitalists. Compared to the solidarity of the proletariat, the solidarity between capitalists was inherently easier; minorities always found it easier to band together."We respect intellectual property rights, and this itself is also consolidating our own advantages. The significance of this law being passed is no less than resisting the antitrust law."
Sheffield stated his purpose, comparing the new patent law to the antitrust law that was troubling Rockefeller, to illustrate that it would benefit everyone."The new patent law may cause a lot of controversy!" Little Rockefeller hesitated slightly. This hesitation was not because he cherished the competitive environment within the United States, or that he liked competition – would he organize trusts if he liked competition? He wished all his competitors would go to meet God! The controversy he mentioned was because he felt this might provoke a very strong backlash.
Little Rockefeller understood very well that many US companies relied on copying European patents to make a living. Not only were there many such companies, but they were numerous. Once the new patent law was put forward for discussion, it would inevitably cause a huge stir, and many companies that depended on this for survival would jump out to obstruct it.
As if seeing Little Rockefeller's hesitation, Sheffield calmly said, "Therefore, before this, we must go through extensive alliances and make all preparations to ensure the law is passed in one go and becomes a foregone conclusion. We cannot get bogged down in too much discussion. In fact, you can think about it, there aren't many domestic companies that are internationally competitive. Standard Oil is definitely one of them. In terms of oil industry-related patents, no one has more than Standard Oil. The benefits of this, you understand without me needing to elaborate."
Once the new patent law was implemented, for giants like Standard Oil, not only would there be no disadvantage, but it would actually serve to consolidate their position. There were no immediate downsides, and the benefits were obvious."I personally have no problem, of course, but I also need to discuss it with my father."
Little Rockefeller indicated his agreement in principle, but stated that he would need to get Old Rockefeller's consent before agreeing.In a way, the two sides meeting today were actually very similar. Both were family leaders stepping aside, letting their heirs handle company affairs.
Little Rockefeller and Sheffield now both had a bit of a "crown prince acting as regent" air, but as the saying goes, "As long as I am not dead, you will always be the crown prince."Just as everything Sheffield did needed to be reported to Old lady back home, Little Rockefeller also needed to constantly consult Old Rockefeller, especially on major matters involving future planning, where no carelessness was permitted.
Even if both of them agreed, they, as heirs, didn't have enough influence to unite other supporting companies and form a joint force. The older generation would still need to come forward to manage the network of connections.This meeting between the two heirs fully illustrated the ugly faces of their class. They had a surprisingly consistent understanding of antitrust laws and new patent laws.
This gave Annie, who had just arrived in the United States, a new understanding of the American business class. It seemed that the whole world was the same; the morality of American businessmen was no less questionable than that of her own la belle France."I thought Americans were the kind who, although not very cultured, were still quite honest internationally," Annie murmured to herself, her worldview slightly shaken."Being restrained internationally doesn't stop them from being like this domestically!" Sheffield said calmly and confidently.
If the United States wasn't seen as a younger brother by European powers, would American businessmen be outwardly tolerant and inwardly ruthless? Not at all. Look at Latin America, where they didn't have so many scruples. In the final analysis, it was because their international standing hadn't reached that point yet.
Currently, America was like a younger sibling internationally. Naturally, businessmen in Europe had to keep their tails between their legs and could only play the role of gullible and wealthy fools. Who asked Europe to set this persona for Americans?
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(End of Chapter)