How might the news in this post affect Rep Rap?
Posted by BodgeIt
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How might the news in this post affect Rep Rap? October 26, 2009 09:50AM |
Registered: 15 years ago Posts: 478 |
"the Creative Commons tells GOSH to buzz off because they don’t want to help make an Open Source Hardware-specific license, instead they basically said, “hey guys, go learn about patents.” And now, Apple’s 64 bit update java dev team conveniently decided it was time to refactor the library base for 64 bit, leaving anyone who had coded an app for 32 bit hanging in the dark."
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Bodge It [reprap.org]
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Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]
[antipastohw.blogspot.com]
Bodge It [reprap.org]
=======================================
My rep strap: [repstrapbertha.blogspot.com]
Buy the bits from B&Q pipestrap [diyrepstrap.blogspot.com]
How to Build a Darwin without any Rep Rap Parts [repstrapdarwin.blogspot.com]
Web Site [www.takeaway3dtech.com]
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Re: How might the news in this post affect Rep Rap? October 27, 2009 01:50AM |
Registered: 14 years ago Posts: 24 |
Well, there are a couple of things with this. First of all, copyright, which the open source licenses deal with, covers the implementation of an idea. Copyright doesn't cover the idea itself. So things like the CAD files, software source, build instructions, etc., can still use those licenses.
Patents are a whole different story. They actually cover the ideas themselves. The great thing about patents vis-a-vis open source is that a patent can be invalidated "prior art" can be shown. So by getting an idea out there, publicly, you are essentially protecting that idea from being covered directly by a patent.
It is a LOT more complicated than this (it makes my head hurt just thinking about it), but that is the two paragraph overview.
Really, the important implementation-specific stuff (CAD files, software, drawings, etc.), can be covered by creative commons or GPL or whatever, and any innovations in the design of the mendel or darwin or whatever will be "free" and un-patentable (as long as the original inventors don't end up patenting them, which they have a right to do for a limited period of time after the ideas are publicized).
(EDIT: Obligatory "I am not a lawyer, and am probably wrong on something important written above" disclaimer inserted here)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2009 01:51AM by quadshop.
Patents are a whole different story. They actually cover the ideas themselves. The great thing about patents vis-a-vis open source is that a patent can be invalidated "prior art" can be shown. So by getting an idea out there, publicly, you are essentially protecting that idea from being covered directly by a patent.
It is a LOT more complicated than this (it makes my head hurt just thinking about it), but that is the two paragraph overview.
Really, the important implementation-specific stuff (CAD files, software, drawings, etc.), can be covered by creative commons or GPL or whatever, and any innovations in the design of the mendel or darwin or whatever will be "free" and un-patentable (as long as the original inventors don't end up patenting them, which they have a right to do for a limited period of time after the ideas are publicized).
(EDIT: Obligatory "I am not a lawyer, and am probably wrong on something important written above" disclaimer inserted here)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2009 01:51AM by quadshop.
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Re: How might the news in this post affect Rep Rap? October 27, 2009 08:32PM |
Registered: 16 years ago Posts: 161 |
@ quadshop:
The other big difference between patents and copyrights (presently) is that patents expire in a reasonable time, whereas copyright(in the US anyway) has an effective duration of "30 years more than Mickey Mouse is old".
This project is in fact built around the upcoming expiration of the original FDM patent(in the '80's) by Stratasys. Once a patent has expired it cannot be renewed so the idea passes into the public domain as God and Thomas Jefferson intended. Currently we operate under another oddity of patent law that holds that making versions for "personal use" is not considered a violation of the patent holders rights, which apply only to commercial gain. So it is safe to say that RepRap is unlikely to find itself in IP related trouble anytime soon.
(EDIT: Obligatory "I am not a lawyer, and am probably wrong on something important written above" disclaimer inserted here)
The other big difference between patents and copyrights (presently) is that patents expire in a reasonable time, whereas copyright(in the US anyway) has an effective duration of "30 years more than Mickey Mouse is old".
This project is in fact built around the upcoming expiration of the original FDM patent(in the '80's) by Stratasys. Once a patent has expired it cannot be renewed so the idea passes into the public domain as God and Thomas Jefferson intended. Currently we operate under another oddity of patent law that holds that making versions for "personal use" is not considered a violation of the patent holders rights, which apply only to commercial gain. So it is safe to say that RepRap is unlikely to find itself in IP related trouble anytime soon.
(EDIT: Obligatory "I am not a lawyer, and am probably wrong on something important written above" disclaimer inserted here)
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