Battleangel

It seems several factors are preventing new consumer technologies from entering certain markets. One of the major hurdles being the free market economy itself and another specifically being intellectual property.

Yahoo - Banned in the U.S.A. - “In Japan, where a majority of the cutting-edge innovation occurs, they’re driven by consumer demand,” he said. “In the U.S., we’re mainly driven by business needs. That’s why you see more of an emphasis on cheap laptops than on lightweight machines.”

Beyond market forces, there are also patents to consider. Patent law in Japan and Europe is different than in the U.S., although some legislation is pending that could bring the U.S. system more in line with its global counterparts.

With patent concerns, small margins, and different U.S. tastes, it is likely that many nifty gadgets and technologies will continue to wow the rest of the world but pass the U.S. by.

It does make intuitive sense that markets should respond to consumer desires, if not then it is just corporate tyranny.