Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1093

1093. Constantly Making Trouble… (8)

Those who hurriedly gathered money to acquire the replicas and blueprints of the power engine soon placed their hands on their foreheads.

“Looks like we’ve been had again?”

They had been lured by the phrase ‘Sold out if you’re late!’ and paid the asking price without haggling for the replicas and blueprints. However, the replicas and blueprints were still being sold afterward.

“We’ve been tricked again…”

They wore bitter expressions at the fact that they had been outsmarted by the Empire once more, but this atmosphere was reversed yet again.

“No more stock!”

“Those who need them can fill out a contract and pay 60% as a deposit!”

“The items you have contracted for will be received sequentially!”

Those who were a step late at the Empire’s explanation hurriedly continued with questions.

“What do you mean by receiving them sequentially?”

“Do you see the numbers stamped on the contract? This is the contract order! Delivery will be made according to this order!”

“Then how long do we have to wait?”

“As early as 1 year, as late as 2 years! Of course, it will not exceed 2 years no matter how late!”

“Ah! If natural disasters such as typhoons occur, it may take a little longer!”

“Hmm….”

People paused for a moment at the last conditional clause.

‘They have to be shipped by sea… Even the Empire’s ships, which are said to withstand most storms, lose one or two ships a year in reality…’

“For reference, the sale of replicas is up to this additional quantity! There will be no more after this! It’s a limited edition!”

At the words of the Empire people, those who hesitated stopped hesitating and reached out.

“Give me the contract!”

And the pre-purchasers who watched this scene wore smiles of victory.

“So… you should have opened your wallets without hesitation.”

“There’s a saying among the Empire people, right? ‘If you hesitate, it’s sold out.'”

Although there was such a small commotion, an enormous number of replicas and blueprints were sold throughout the Ming Dynasty [China during this period], Japan, Europe, and the Middle East.

“If you only calculate the sales revenue, you would have recovered more than the prize money from the contest, right?”

“But, even if it was released to keep the promise, didn’t they release too much? Even though the Empire is still ahead, there are more than one or two countries that have almost caught up.”

“Is it arrogance?”

“Arrogance with that Emperor in charge?”

“Think about the Emperor’s age.”

Other countries, especially the great powers of Europe, tended to regard the Empire’s behavior as a ‘misjudgment made while intoxicated with arrogance.’ Of course, there were those who raised objections, mentioning the Director, but more people pointed out the Director’s age.

-It is clear that his judgment is weakening due to aging!

However, this was the Director’s trick.

* * *

“Did you say that you would sell replicas to anyone as long as you receive money? I think it is a dangerous decision.”

The Prime Minister, who heard the Director’s proposal, immediately ran to Woo and protested.

“It is true that the replicas being released now are much inferior to the improvements that are currently being researched and revealed. However, other countries have already caught up with our Empire in many areas! This will be ‘committing the folly of Song Yang’ [a historical figure known for underestimating his enemies].”

“I am also worried. That’s why I told the Prime Minister.”

“I don’t think you should accept this proposal.”

“However, since it is a plan proposed by Grand Preceptor Tae, it is not polite to reject it without even discussing it. Hmm… I have no choice. Eunuch, bring Grand Preceptor Tae.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The Director, who entered Geunjeongjeon [the main hall in Gyeongbokgung Palace] after being summoned, heard about the situation from Woo.

“…Therefore, I would like to dismiss the plan to sell replicas in large quantities.”

The Director answered immediately to Woo’s words.

“That is exactly why I thought of selling them in large quantities.”

“Yes?”

-As the Prime Minister and ministers said, many countries have already caught up closely with the Empire.

-That’s why we’re making it public. The reason is already said before.

-If we sell only a small amount of replicas, most of them will fall into the hands of other countries’ governments. And they will only be placed in research facilities operated by the government.

-If, by any chance, the results we are thinking of come out of such government-supported facilities, the government of that country will have the same concerns as we did. And the decision that comes out will surely be ‘hide it.’

-But if we spread them in large quantities, the situation will change.

-Facilities supported by the country are strong candidates, but there are many hidden geniuses everywhere.

-The possibility that such geniuses will find the level we want, or the method we couldn’t find, is quite high.

“…As I said before, what we will get is exactly these things.”

The Left Vice Minister immediately retorted to the Director’s words.

“As I said before, it won’t be easy. The rulers of the countries with such geniuses will also have an eye for it.”

“Of course, that’s right. But do you know what the common weakness of these geniuses is? It’s that they ‘have no power.’ In other words, it is common for them to have the results of their hard work taken away. At that time, our Empire will step in and provide them with shade.”

“Diplomatic disputes will arise.”

“Isn’t there the Intellectual Property Office?”

At that moment, Woo and all the ministers simultaneously exclaimed.

“Ah!”

* * *

Since Sejong [a famous Korean king] started the reforms and began full-scale foreign exchanges, disputes over ‘intellectual property rights’ had been taking place. Fortunately, Ming was able to protect ‘intellectual property rights’ to some extent thanks to the imperial decree issued during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, and in the case of Japan, there were not many major problems because of the lack of technology itself.

The problem was Europe. Since then, at the same time as proclaiming himself emperor and becoming a powerful country that no one could easily disregard, the Empire began to actively manage ‘intellectual property rights.’ As proper exchanges with Europe and the Middle East continued while managing the Suez Railway, the Empire strongly demanded the protection of ‘intellectual property rights’ and obtained consent.

Afterwards, the Director used the Italian unification war to lay the groundwork. Following the establishment of an embassy in Florence, he succeeded in establishing embassies in European powers, including France, and the Ottoman Empire.

“It is very regrettable that there was an armed conflict between the Empire and your country due to the Italian unification issue. However, don’t we have many common interests? So, I would like to establish an embassy. Let’s coordinate opinions and resolve misunderstandings between the two countries through the embassy. If this happens, wouldn’t it be possible to prevent unnecessary bloodshed in advance?”

The European powers and the Ottoman Empire agreed to the Director’s proposal.

“It can’t hurt to have it…”

Later, when the embassy was established, the branch of the Intellectual Property Office and the Imperial Merchant were also established. When the Intellectual Property Office was established, the Director added one suggestion.

-In order to protect intellectual property rights, please recognize the authority of the Intellectual Property Office branch to file a lawsuit in the court of the country concerned.

And this was also recognized.

“The Empire doesn’t know our country’s laws well, so it will end as a formality.”

“The Empire, no, that Emperor made a mistake.”

However, the Director’s next move pierced the loophole. He hired the most famous jurists, lawyers, or religious figures in the countries where the embassies were located as legal experts belonging to the Intellectual Property Office.

“Please defend the victims with your excellent legal knowledge.”

“God clearly said, ‘Do not covet what belongs to others.’ Isn’t stealing and using the knowledge that others have worked hard to accumulate without permission a violation of the commandments set by God? Please prove God’s fairness through trial.”

At the Director’s suggestion, famous jurists, lawyers, and religious figures became legal representatives of the Intellectual Property Office branch and engaged in litigation. As the situation became like this, other countries also recognized the authority of the Intellectual Property Office and intellectual property rights. In addition, they created and installed institutions and systems with similar characteristics in their own countries. However, the most powerful authority was the Empire’s Intellectual Property Office.

* * *

“Those with weak power will register with the Empire’s Intellectual Property Office in order to secure their legitimate rights. If that happens, we can find the answer in a very legal way.”

After the Director’s explanation, Woo and the ministers changed their minds and passed the Director’s proposal. As a result, a large number of replicas were scattered everywhere. And the replicas that were scattered flowed into research facilities and educational facilities supported by the state, and large trading companies.

What was unexpected was the giant trading companies. Most of them were giant merchant families based in Italy – symbolized by the Medici [a powerful Italian banking family]. Among the things operated by these giant merchant families were shipyards and ironworks. The giant merchant families, who learned about the usefulness of artificial power engines symbolized by steam engines through shipyards and ironworks, were building their own research facilities to conduct research. The contest was thus ‘settled’, but almost no one stopped researching.

“So it was made like that? Then….”

“Improving or modifying that can also be recognized as intellectual property. It’s a much easier situation than starting from scratch.”

Those who had grasped the direction through the replicas once again passionately devoted themselves to research. And it was the Empire that poured oil on the flames of passion they were raising.

“Replicas are expensive, but blueprints are still cheap!”

“We sell blueprints separately!”

Even though it was said to be cheap, it was relatively cheap.

“But it’s better than nothing.”

“I’ll have to survive on bread and water for a while.”

Individual researchers with insufficient economic power were grateful for the blueprints alone. Individual researchers who gathered all the money they had and obtained the blueprints began to analyze the blueprints, forgetting about sleep.

“According to what I saw and heard at that time…”

However, everyone, regardless of the country’s research facilities, the trading company’s laboratories, or the individual’s laboratories and workshops, faced the same wall for the first time.

“What’s an igniter again?”

“Is the igniter a separate finished product?”

“If you take it apart from the replica… Oh! The replica becomes inoperable! Does that mean I have to buy this separately? Is there no blueprint?”

“Igniter blueprints are sold separately? What the hell!”

They were the ones who purchased igniter parts and blueprints while uttering all sorts of curses and complaints. However, before long, they had no choice but to spit out curses again.

“What’s a generator again!”

After going through such twists and turns, those who obtained igniters and generators faced the second wall.

“‘Electricity’?”

“Why does ‘electricity’ come out here?”

In the end, those who were studying power engines had no choice but to search for scholars who studied electricity. The electrical scholars who were invited looked embarrassed after seeing the parts and blueprints.

“This part requires a thesis from the Empire.”

“Don’t you have it, teacher?”

“Do you know how much a thesis costs? Electrical science is still a poor science.”

“In reality, there are hardly any scholars who only study electricity properly.”

After listening to the scholars’ complaints, the officials finally realized one thing.

“More money is going out again….”