Comment

Comment on When EV startups shut down, will their cars still work?

bad_alloc@lemmy.dbzer0.com ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

Companies should be required to maintain a stash of plans and source code which is automatically released upon the company stopping operations, unless the IP is bought.

source

Sort:hotnew top

roguetrick@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago

unless the IP is bought

It’s always bought on liquidation. The creditors require it to be sold to legally satisfy them. What’s worse is that the IP may only be licensed in the first place.

source
corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
Novell was re-awarded OS code which it sold – a term I use based on talking to people in the room on both the seller and buyer side of the negotiation table at the time, but merely second-hand knowledge. Novell was awarded ownership as the fact of the sale became a poker chip in a US$5bn lawsuit that could be refuted to give an advantage to one adversary in that lawsuit.

Novell hasn’t done a thing with it in 20 years. The code is essentially dead because it would cost too much to restart and update.

This was how the original Unix died, and doesn’t violate your plan. Counterexampled?

source
- SSJMarx@lemm.ee ⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
  The whole IP paradigm needs to change. I can accept the logic that IP needs to exist in the first place so that people who invent something can get paid (at least in our current system) - but the term should be shortened to something like five years, or if it’s going to be longer there needs to be a list of events that immediately invalidate it, including the product no longer being legally available. IP shouldn’t be able to be traded between companies like commodities, and it shouldn’t be able to be locked up to prevent it from going into the public domain.
  
  source
  - shalafi@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I mostly agree, but five years often won’t score your ROI. I especially think entertainment IPs should fall into the public domain faster. 70-years after the author’s death is a fucking joke.
    
    If, god forbid, Steven King croaks tomorrow, his work should go public after a few years (to resolve estate issues).
    
    source
  - ilinamorato@lemmy.world ⁨2⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago
    I think the bigger issue is that IP rights can be held by corporations at all. Yes, it should be shorter, but it should also only be able to be owned by individuals.
    
    source