That is the Tooth Fairy School of Regulation, IMHO. These folks will
do all they can to make SURE there is no real competition. Though 95%
of a captive market would no doubt be enough to make them beat the
bushes for a fake competitor to hold up during Congressional hearings.

It's cheaper to buy legislators than to create a saw factory, isn't
it?




"Sam Chambers" wrote in message ...
I hear what you're saying, but that's not really what the petition says.
True, they've modeled the petition based on what their system can do (makes
sense, since there's is the only such product), but it doesn't mandate use
of the SawStop system. In other words, other manufacturers or entrepreneurs
can develop another, competing system. As with any technological
development, there's always someone who invents the thing first. If it's a
good product, others will follow. If not, it'll die on the vine.

Can you imagine the potential market if someone invented a similar system
that could be retrofitted to existing saws?

Another thought - I took a table saw class awhile back. The instructor said
he asked the major U.S. table saw manufacturers why they didn't develop
better safety equipment. One guy finally told him it was because their
legal department advised against it. The lawyers believe that by developing
and marketing a "new and improved" safety system, they'd basically be
admitting that the safety equipment on all the saws they've sold to date are
inadequate, and that'll lead to more lawsuits. Take it for what it's worth,
but in our overly litigious society, it makes some sense.