copyright and patent laws are a very interesting aspect of a society!

imagine how you would feel if there was a law that stipulated that you or your heirs would automatically lose your physical property X number of years after it was first created or acquired by you!

yet we do exactly that with music and other creative endeavors, inventions, etc. and we do that because we believe that an individual is entitled to benefit exclusively from their creations but only for a time and then society at large should benefit from them.

this is exactly the reason we have cheap generic drugs that are just as good as the brand names. it is why we have ziplock-style package sealers in lots of packaged foods. it is why we can buy cheap, off-brand transparent tape and velcro-style fasteners. and thousands of other products.

I think you can make a great case for copyright and patent laws transferring rights back to the public at large but I guess you could make a good case for allowing someone who creates something to keep it indefinitely too!

But overall, I guess I am pretty pleased with the balance we have in the US regarding copyright and patent.

Last edited by JohnJohnJohn; 06/11/14 09:53 AM.