@forgottenmilltowns: National Acme, Cleveland, Ohio. 1890s-1960s. Made machine tools. Screw machines. DOMINATED industry through corporate tactics. Patent hoarding: Filed HUNDREDS of patents. On every aspect of design. Even features never used. To BLOCK competitors. Competitor tried to innovate? National Acme SUED. Patent infringement. Lawsuit was the WEAPON. Competitors couldn't afford litigation. Settled. Paid fees. Or went out of business. Planned obsolescence: Designed machines to WEAR OUT. Critical components FAIL after certain hours. Then: Proprietary replacement parts. Could ONLY buy from National Acme. At HIGH prices. Sometimes parts cost MORE than new competitor machine. But switching HARD. Made more money from PARTS than machines. Machines were HOOK. Parts were PROFIT. This became MODEL. Printers. Ink cartridges. John Deere. Apple. 1960s-70s: Foreign competition. Better machines. Cheaper parts. OPEN designs. National Acme couldn't compete. By 2000: DISSOLVED. Tactic that made them dominant KILLED them. But playbook LIVES ON. #NationalAcme #Cleveland #OhioHistory #NortheastOhio #CorporateTactics
