Protecting ideas behind iron curtains stifle further innovation and lead to stagnation. When people and organizations are more concerned with protecting what is theirs rather than furthering understanding, we all lose. I think countries with highly developed patent and copyright laws stand to lose significantly when countries with more lax laws have few qualms over using these protected ideas. As Ferguson quips, the United States was flatly opposed to patent laws and protecting foreign works when it was a developing nation 200 years ago. The same could be said of countries like China and India today.
Ideas need to be free so that we can improve upon them and better our world. It is alarming to think of the power that large corporations wield in the area of patent law. They can squash or intimidate the upstart innovators so as to maintain their dominance. This, at the expense of furthering understanding, creativity, and the natural progression of ideas.
Great post Patrick! I too agree that ideas need to be free. Companies like Monsanto, for example, terrify me. Having the ability to control what we grow and therefore what we eat is a terrible idea. And for what...the almighty dollar! Don't get me wrong. I realize the society we live in is, in essence, fueled by money but changes need to be made. Perhaps there are no new ideas, no true eureka moments, as you say, but when we expand on the previously established knowledge and information of our predecessors, these new ideas need to be free. They should not be controlled by giant corporations who also have the ability to influence government and policy. Fight the power!
ReplyDeleteI cannot agree with you more about the stagnation of ideas and how the United States was against Patents and ownership of ideas, which might slow down the progress of the nation overall.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your personal opinions on the limitations of this? Where do you think the lines should be drawn when it comes to what about of copying / modification is allowed and how much isn't? What emphasis do you place on perspective, which is to say, if someone starts to make more money on your idea and its a copy? What are the limitations to everything being free?
I agree with your notion that ideas need to be free, and that if this were so our social evolution would increase exponentially and not be held back by legalities. The problem is how are we going to arrive at this state. Right now money is anchoring any attempt at this move forward, and I find it hard to imagine how it will be possible to shake this weight loose.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your notion that ideas need to be free, and that if this were so our social evolution would increase exponentially and not be held back by legalities. The problem is how are we going to arrive at this state. Right now money is anchoring any attempt at this move forward, and I find it hard to imagine how it will be possible to shake this weight loose.
ReplyDeleteYour last paragraph is a powerful one!
ReplyDeleteIt is alarming to see the stranglehold that large companies have in our world. It doesn't give a lot of hope for the little guy.
Hopefully going forward we see some changes in the free movement of ideas so we can see more positive benefits instead of the rich getting richer.