create account

A brief musing on intellectual property by modprobe

View this thread on: hive.blogpeakd.comecency.com
· @modprobe ·
$142.01
A brief musing on intellectual property
https://img1.etsystatic.com/159/0/14293338/il_570xN.1194321957_qnik.jpg

I just read an article on Interesting Engineering about the inventor of the fidget spinner, a small toy held in the hand and spun around a hub to release nervous energy. According to the article, which I won't link to because I don't want to give it the SEO points, the toy is a worldwide hit, but the inventor hasn't profited from it. The article goes so far as to state in its tag line that this is due to her lack of patent on the product:

_The woman behind the worldwide phenomenon [ ... ] isn't making a penny from them -- all because she couldn't afford the patent fee._

Now, I'm generally an opponent of intellectual property (IP), since my thoughts on IP conclude that it is far more likely to harm creativity than incentivize it. Initially I was inclined to move on since the article was clearly based on invalid premises, but some small voice of reason in my head said maybe I would benefit from reading it and seeing if I could spot the error.

I quickly diagnosed the tag line to be a direct contradiction with the article, as the article reluctantly points out that she held a patent for more than 8 years, but apparently couldn't sell the product because she couldn't spare $400 to renew said patent. I say it points this out reluctantly because rather than lay this information out directly, they hid it by only saying that the woman who invented the toy did so more than 20 years ago, and lost her patent on it in 2005 when she could not afford to pay a $400 fee to renew it. If it's 2017 and she invented the toy more than 20 years ago, it must have been before 1997, and if she had a patent until 2005, she must have had it for more than 8 years, from '97 to '05, during which time it made her absolutely nothing since she couldn't afford to renew it for $400. If the patent had been in the tiniest degree profitable, she would have gladly dropped the four benjamins to keep the party going.

So possibly the most irrational conclusion possible is that holding the patent for _more_ years would have made her rich, yet this is exactly the article's conclusion (and introduction). This conclusion seems to be an application of the principle, _If what you're doing isn't working, keep doing it._ Right, obviously it must be an effective strategy; if it weren't, it would be working by now!

Perhaps it's time we dropped that principle. Practice has demonstrated time and time again that intellectual property is not the optimal strategy to reward creativity. It works sometimes for some people, but far more effective models have already been pioneered. I know your school teaches you (without ever directly saying) that IP is the only way to go and any other ideas can be safely ignored. I know your government tells you IP is necessary and civilization would collapse without it (even though civilization was invented without it and, historically, has thrived most successfully in its absence). But none of it is true.

Articles like this may accidentally propagate the very ideas that impoverish the creatives we all (especially opponents of intellectual property) want so much to reward. IP was a bad idea. It's time to lay it to rest. Using IP to reward creativity is like sticking a knife in your foot to fix an ingrown toenail. In theory it's supposed to help, but in practice it just makes the problem worse.

That is all. Thanks for reading!

> This post was written for you by @modprobe in the hopes that it makes your day just a bit better. Intellectual property is a lie; use the text of this post however you want, after all, I wrote it for you! If you post it elsewhere, though, you get extra awesome points for mentioning it in a comment here!
>
> [Image Source](https://www.etsy.com/listing/500195382/spinner-fidget-toy-fidget-spinners-focus?ref=market)
👍  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 87 others
properties (23)
authormodprobe
permlinka-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing","philosophy","ip","law","anarchy"],"users":["modprobe"],"image":["https://img1.etsystatic.com/159/0/14293338/il_570xN.1194321957_qnik.jpg"],"links":["https://www.etsy.com/listing/500195382/spinner-fidget-toy-fidget-spinners-focus?ref=market"],"app":"steemit/0.1","format":"markdown"}
created2017-05-07 20:06:45
last_update2017-05-07 20:06:45
depth0
children28
last_payout2017-05-14 20:06:45
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value126.606 HBD
curator_payout_value15.402 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length3,860
author_reputation57,055,357,664,878
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd0
post_id3,248,615
net_rshares23,202,737,517,340
author_curate_reward""
vote details (151)
@dan ·
$4.92
Crazy!  My daughter was playing with one that looks exactly as pictured and I had never seen these until two days ago!
👍  , , ,
properties (23)
authordan
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170507t224217424z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-07 22:42:15
last_update2017-05-07 22:42:15
depth1
children1
last_payout2017-05-14 22:42:15
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value3.963 HBD
curator_payout_value0.961 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length118
author_reputation155,470,101,136,708
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,250,338
net_rshares3,104,908,396,258
author_curate_reward""
vote details (4)
@modprobe ·
I saw them in an imported goods store last week for the first time. Haven't tried one yet, though.
properties (22)
authormodprobe
permlinkre-dan-re-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170507t225907996z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-07 22:59:12
last_update2017-05-07 22:59:12
depth2
children0
last_payout2017-05-14 22:59:12
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length98
author_reputation57,055,357,664,878
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,250,501
net_rshares0
@dana-edwards ·
$6.76
In the age of hackers, property theft, etc, we don't even know where ideas originate anymore. Patents benefit big corporations and not inventors.
👍  , , ,
properties (23)
authordana-edwards
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170507t225429493z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-07 22:54:30
last_update2017-05-07 22:54:30
depth1
children3
last_payout2017-05-14 22:54:30
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value5.632 HBD
curator_payout_value1.127 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length145
author_reputation353,623,611,191,427
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,250,451
net_rshares3,854,685,928,815
author_curate_reward""
vote details (4)
@lepton ·
Yeah. New technology should serve all of us. But on the other hand we would not have many great inventions if  companies were not able to earn back the money that they invested in development. Maybe the solution could be the law which is now used only for medicine patents. Company can patent new pill but after 5 (or 10) years the patent cease to exist and everyone can start making that same pill...
properties (22)
authorlepton
permlinkre-dana-edwards-re-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170602t174349373z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-06-02 17:43:45
last_update2017-06-02 17:43:45
depth2
children0
last_payout2017-06-09 17:43:45
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length401
author_reputation1,414,714,868,220
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id4,075,165
net_rshares0
@modprobe ·
$2.50
Hmm... Try putting some blockchain on it. ;-)
👍  , ,
properties (23)
authormodprobe
permlinkre-dana-edwards-re-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170507t230007997z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-07 23:00:12
last_update2017-05-07 23:00:12
depth2
children0
last_payout2017-05-14 23:00:12
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value1.879 HBD
curator_payout_value0.624 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length45
author_reputation57,055,357,664,878
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,250,511
net_rshares1,900,013,794,040
author_curate_reward""
vote details (3)
@rayandoelimi ·
that problem will ends with some projects like this :)    :
https://steemit.com/art/@rayandoelimi/are-you-an-artist-or-creator-check-this-is-for-you
properties (22)
authorrayandoelimi
permlinkre-dana-edwards-re-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170711t132624765z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"links":["https://steemit.com/art/@rayandoelimi/are-you-an-artist-or-creator-check-this-is-for-you"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-07-11 13:26:21
last_update2017-07-11 13:26:21
depth2
children0
last_payout2017-07-18 13:26:21
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length148
author_reputation-26,332,894,253
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id8,106,411
net_rshares0
@diegodix ·
very good
properties (22)
authordiegodix
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t063121022z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 06:31:21
last_update2017-05-08 06:31:21
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-05-15 06:31:21
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length9
author_reputation37,722,629,158
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,254,345
net_rshares0
@digicrypt ·
I literally found out yesterday what a fidget spinner was lol
properties (22)
authordigicrypt
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t233211562z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 23:32:09
last_update2017-05-08 23:32:09
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-05-15 23:32:09
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length61
author_reputation9,344,424,618,224
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,268,550
net_rshares0
@fingersik ·
I do not say that IP is generally a best strategy BUT… U said she couldn´t sell it because she couldn´t afford prolonging of her patent. The thing is, in capitalism an idea is not enough. You have to spread the knowledge about anything basically with money investment. Patent only servers for her to have her 20 years to try and make money out of something she created while no one can do the same for that period of time. If they do so, they earn you money anyway (if you find someone breaking your patent ofc:D). The point is that patent only gives you the time to use your invention however you want (in capitalism making as much money as you can from it, before capitalistic whales come in and just copy all you have done with incomparable amount of money). If she wasn´t able to afford the prolonging, she weren’t able to gain that much money, but that’s fine she can still sell her innovation, it’s just others can do so now too.
properties (22)
authorfingersik
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t083758257z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 08:37:54
last_update2017-05-08 08:37:54
depth1
children4
last_payout2017-05-15 08:37:54
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length935
author_reputation48,268,764,621,908
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,255,452
net_rshares0
@modprobe ·
I see a few errors in your reasoning, and I see several unquestioned pundit talking points reproduced in your rhetoric that do not hold up to scrutiny. Perhaps research Austrian economics (searching YouTube videos is a good start), which is the most clear-headed and easy to understand economic discipline I know of, which is why it usually produces the most accurate results. Things will begin to make more sense. It will take some time, but give it an honest effort, don't just go in trying to prove a point, but really try to understand what is being said. If it's not making sense, try another source until you find one that puts it in a way that makes sense to you. When you do, you'll understand what I mean. Good luck, friend! :-)

Be particularly careful to only understand words in the sense that the speaker uses them. Words like "capitalism" are tricky because they mean so many different things to so many people, and it's impossible to have a meaningful conversation without a shared vocabulary. I think that's where 90%+ of the confusion around these arguments comes in: not being fully clear on what each other mean by certain words.
properties (22)
authormodprobe
permlinkre-fingersik-re-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t131352274z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 13:13:54
last_update2017-05-08 13:13:54
depth2
children3
last_payout2017-05-15 13:13:54
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length1,148
author_reputation57,055,357,664,878
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,258,471
net_rshares0
@fingersik ·
I never said I know it all. I´m not really into IP and I admit that half of the knowledge I have about it comes from school. I never force my opinion onto anyone – just saying what I feel is true. I do not feel the same from you yet, but since I´m strictly positive I´ll give it a try.

You don’t need to teach me the essence of my studies :D. If you think you don’t understand a word I used, just ask. Capitalism doesn’t have strict definition in my mind. Its understanding comes from me watching how world under the system we call “capitalism” works. Basically sector, where money is located, has power and individuals, which have money, have power. Money is cumulated under personal, or corporative ownership. Quick example – earth is dying because it’s not being protected by people, because there is no money from it. When the situation reaches critical threshold, money will flow into a sector “saving planet”, minds will be attracted, because they could gain part of that money for their own needs.

Now to the IP. Its purpose is to guard your idea from plagiarism. If there was no shield from individuals, or corporations, that have tons of money to use your idea to produce products that could be sold on a market, you would be helpless. Though if they have a lot of money and you don’t they can bypass it anyway (even if they had to terminate you - that’s just way of life, in this case the humanity).
Now instead of saying IP is bad and my argumentation is bad…please enlighten me :). As I said I´m not really into it and I would be honoured if you explained why it’s bad and what would your solution for it be, since every real sceptic has to have at least an idea of what could work better. I don’t have time, nor motivation to study something I don’t want to study, but I have plenty of time to hear out constructive perspective of another human being.
properties (22)
authorfingersik
permlinkre-modprobe-re-fingersik-re-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t161126468z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 16:11:24
last_update2017-05-08 16:11:24
depth3
children2
last_payout2017-05-15 16:11:24
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length1,866
author_reputation48,268,764,621,908
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,261,179
net_rshares0
@frankbacon · (edited)
$0.40
THIS is how it's done my friend ; )
![Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/zI8H41G.jpg)

HIGHLY rEsteemed!
👍  
properties (23)
authorfrankbacon
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170507t225255452z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"image":["http://i.imgur.com/zI8H41G.jpg"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-07 22:52:54
last_update2017-05-07 22:53:21
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-05-14 22:52:54
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.370 HBD
curator_payout_value0.027 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length95
author_reputation38,509,879,409,111
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,250,430
net_rshares406,089,138,597
author_curate_reward""
vote details (1)
@hms818 ·
Lot to learn from  this for future inventor's... how important is IP to become profitable...
properties (22)
authorhms818
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170507t201137090z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-07 20:11:36
last_update2017-05-07 20:11:36
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-05-14 20:11:36
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length92
author_reputation11,503,740,391,093
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,248,704
net_rshares0
@itsmein3d ·
$0.33
Good read! Thanks @modprobe
👍  
properties (23)
authoritsmein3d
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170507t201820677z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"users":["modprobe"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-07 20:18:21
last_update2017-05-07 20:18:21
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-05-14 20:18:21
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.330 HBD
curator_payout_value0.002 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length27
author_reputation3,358,588,861,430
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,248,805
net_rshares341,969,800,924
author_curate_reward""
vote details (1)
@lepton ·
We have a new law now (in Czech republic) thanks to which you can win lawsuits even without patent. You just have to have enough  evidence that you were the first making it / selling it. Anyway, nice article.
properties (22)
authorlepton
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170602t173226547z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-06-02 17:32:21
last_update2017-06-02 17:32:21
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-06-09 17:32:21
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length208
author_reputation1,414,714,868,220
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id4,074,789
net_rshares0
@mattclarke ·
$1.17
Couldn't agree more. 
https://steemit.com/anarchy/@mattclarke/i-keep-hearing-how-innovation-will-die-without-ip-laws-so-let-s-look-at-an-example
👍  
properties (23)
authormattclarke
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t005645956z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"links":["https://steemit.com/anarchy/@mattclarke/i-keep-hearing-how-innovation-will-die-without-ip-laws-so-let-s-look-at-an-example"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 00:56:48
last_update2017-05-08 00:56:48
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-05-15 00:56:48
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value1.011 HBD
curator_payout_value0.162 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length144
author_reputation127,792,970,272,178
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,251,431
net_rshares1,047,282,515,329
author_curate_reward""
vote details (1)
@melowd ·
$4.51
@modprobe I heard about the story too. I feel so bad for her. With the boom of shopify in the last years, lots of people make millions with the fidget spinner.
👍  ,
properties (23)
authormelowd
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170606t013609382z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"users":["modprobe"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-06-06 01:36:24
last_update2017-06-06 01:36:24
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-06-13 01:36:24
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value3.390 HBD
curator_payout_value1.124 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length159
author_reputation-267,078,238,602
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id4,244,769
net_rshares1,030,346,195,880
author_curate_reward""
vote details (2)
@personz ·
$0.42
Great point here and food for thought, thanks! 😀👍
👍  
properties (23)
authorpersonz
permlinkre-modprobe-201757t225554474z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":"musing","app":"esteem/1.4.3","format":"markdown+html"}
created2017-05-07 21:55:57
last_update2017-05-07 21:55:57
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-05-14 21:55:57
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.398 HBD
curator_payout_value0.019 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length49
author_reputation42,452,361,038,560
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries
0.
accountesteemapp
weight100
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,249,938
net_rshares427,462,251,155
author_curate_reward""
vote details (1)
@philmesnier ·
$1.19
Interesting. My nephew, a 4th grader, was over last night and had one of those gizmos.  Anyway, there are other examples of the situation you cite, where a lone inventor becomes impoverished due to lack of production. Look up the story of intermittent windshield wipers as an example.

But my real question is this - Do you have a sense of how to positively incentavise creativity? In theory, an inventor, author, muse, etc. should be able to reap some reward if a product of their creativitiy is found useful. Particularly in cases where others are profiting from that creation. 

I'm with you though, as a purvayor of open source software, I am not so worried about licensing my output as I am about producing what other people want.  But this model isn't for everyone. Particularly not for folks inventing useful or novel gadgets and need help manufacturing and bringing them to the market.

Circling back to the little spinny dealies, does the source article state whether or not the inventor tried to license her invention to manufacturers and failed? Or manufactured some and failed to get them to the right market? I wonder why she failed to be successful during the patent period.
👍  
properties (23)
authorphilmesnier
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t135038338z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 13:50:36
last_update2017-05-08 13:50:36
depth1
children2
last_payout2017-05-15 13:50:36
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.889 HBD
curator_payout_value0.296 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length1,188
author_reputation1,115,071,019,677
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,259,167
net_rshares1,068,655,627,887
author_curate_reward""
vote details (1)
@damain · (edited)
Generally speaking if an inventor is good at their job they will receive rewards by being just that: an inventor. If you've only ever invented the hammer and could not think of anything else, then that is where your creativity ends and thus your role as an inventor didn't evolve into a real career to support your community. Just because the hammer is particularly useful doesn't mean you can hoard the idea without direct negative consequence to your entire society. However, if you invent regularly and others find them useful inventions, people will come to you with their problems and you can then negotiate a wage to compensate for the time and effort you will put into solving their problems. Curators do not make a living off of their creations, they make a living off of their ability to create.
properties (22)
authordamain
permlinkre-philmesnier-re-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t142104101z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 14:21:09
last_update2017-05-08 14:23:03
depth2
children0
last_payout2017-05-15 14:21:09
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length804
author_reputation45,714,040,905
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,259,574
net_rshares0
@modprobe · (edited)
$0.56
I don't want to speculate on the details of why the manufacturer failed to be profitable during those 8 years. I'm not sure anyone other than her has enough information to render such a diagnosis. Like all such stories, it's a complex and unique situation. I can, however, take a step back and see the overall pattern: as is so often the case, people trusted IP to help them get rewarded for their invention, and instead it prevented the invention from helping anyone at all, least of all the inventor. Intellectual property has not yielded a desirable outcome, and it rarely if ever does so, but counterexamples are abundantly available. Literally any other strategy is better than a known bad one. An even worse strategy still teaches more than a known bad one.

But the problem with IP isn't simply that it's a bad strategy. In fact, the problem isn't IP at all. IP is the symptom. The problem is the mindset and goals of the inventor, as evidenced by the use of IP. Why did the inventor create the toy? Was it to get rich, or to (for lack of more specific information, I will say...) make people's lives just a little bit brighter? If her goal was to get rich, her strategy of inventing a toy to get rich is horrible. Inventing widgets is one of the hardest ways to make money. Thus if her goal is to get rich, she failed because her strategy was not designed to realize her goal. To get rich, a better strategy is going into banking. Federal Reserve Notes are monopoly money, so the best way to get them is to be Hasbro, which can print them to its heart's content. :-P

Was her goal then to brighten people's lives? If so, then I think we must agree that she succeeded in her goal, albeit only after pruning the self-destructive strategy of using a patent. If this was her goal, the patent is a strategy directly inimical to her goal, thus it makes sense that she accomplished little until abandoning such a terrible strategy.

Now, of course this still feels incomplete, and indeed it is. We still don't have what we actually wanted. What we actually wanted was for the inventor whose goal was to brighten people's lives, and who succeeded in achieving that goal, to be rewarded for her efforts. But this didn't happen. Why not?

To unravel that knot, we must first consider that one goal of money is to reward such inventors for their work. Money, being a technology, albeit an old one, was invented to serve this purpose (or at least, it's illustrative at present to suppose it was). It is a decentralized reward mechanism which flows from consumers to producers, and inventivizes all to produce more than they consume. The degree to which money flows to a person should parallel the degree to which they produce more than consume. Why doesn't it do this?

Well, that's a very complex problem, which no doubt stems from many bad strategies implemented by inventors and many others. The world has been convinced to adopt a *lot* of self-destructive strategies, and we are seeing the consequences of those. But in the case of money not reflecting value creation like it should, we need look no further than the strategy represented by the Federal Reserve Notes people have been given to use as money. Those notes are not intended to work as a good money; in fact, quite the opposite, they are designed to implement the abstract interface of money*, while providing a very different result entirely: to transfer economic energy from the users of the money to the printers. In short, if we want our money to start reflecting value creation correctly, we need to stop using this monopoly money that is designed to accomplish something fundamentally different, and even opposite.

Will that solve all of our problems? No, but it will simplify them more dramatically than any of us can predict, and from there it will be much easier to see the next biggest failing strategy.

##### * For the less computer science inclined among us, this means to look and feel *like* money to the extent that you can't tell the difference between federal reserve notes and real money in day to day life. But the differences are there behind the scenes, and they have effects that eventually trickle back to you, but by that time it's no longer obvious that the fake money was the cause; all you can see is that you can't buy as much per hour of work as you used to be able to.
👍  , ,
properties (23)
authormodprobe
permlinkre-philmesnier-re-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t153018519z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 15:30:21
last_update2017-05-08 16:16:57
depth2
children0
last_payout2017-05-15 15:30:21
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.421 HBD
curator_payout_value0.140 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length4,362
author_reputation57,055,357,664,878
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,260,634
net_rshares563,094,829,409
author_curate_reward""
vote details (3)
@philosophy-trail ·
$1.90
The whole concept of intellectual property is interesting.  The whole purpose of it is to claim ownership and distribute it.  We want others to have things, but we don't want to be theirs.  We want to sell someone the privilege to use things that we want them to use.  Paradox?
👍  , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and 72 others
properties (23)
authorphilosophy-trail
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t031831425z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 03:18:30
last_update2017-05-08 03:18:30
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-05-15 03:18:30
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value1.475 HBD
curator_payout_value0.426 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length277
author_reputation17,004,614,353,613
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,252,865
net_rshares1,557,935,916,534
author_curate_reward""
vote details (136)
@rayandoelimi ·
For solve this problems , we are in new era . check this :

https://steemit.com/art/@rayandoelimi/are-you-an-artist-or-creator-check-this-is-for-you
properties (22)
authorrayandoelimi
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170711t132550952z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"links":["https://steemit.com/art/@rayandoelimi/are-you-an-artist-or-creator-check-this-is-for-you"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-07-11 13:25:48
last_update2017-07-11 13:25:48
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-07-18 13:25:48
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length148
author_reputation-26,332,894,253
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id8,106,356
net_rshares0
@rival ·
if shee was on steemit it would give hetr 100% upvote.. the world is crual
properties (22)
authorrival
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170625t213034908z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-06-25 21:30:36
last_update2017-06-25 21:30:36
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-07-02 21:30:36
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length74
author_reputation56,487,110,354,324
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id6,097,102
net_rshares0
@strangerarray ·
Also, it is quite possible the only reason anyone made money off these toys is that when the patent lapsed, bigger more profitable businesses were able to recreate it, rebrand it, and market the hell out of it. 

Just guessing the creator didn't have the business sense to do so or she would have got more than the $400 she needed to keep it active.

I too am not in favor of patents and IP, but I am not out there trying to make a buck off a product. I think unfortunately it is a fairy tale story people, especially in the US believe, that "one good idea" will make them rich! 

We need to wake up and get to work and share our ideas openly to collaborate and bring them to fruition.  Plus almost no one wants to "steal" your ideas, because well, they have their own half-baked ideas...
properties (22)
authorstrangerarray
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170816t110249475z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-08-16 11:02:51
last_update2017-08-16 11:02:51
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-08-23 11:02:51
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.000 HBD
curator_payout_value0.000 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length788
author_reputation18,931,008,211,203
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id11,972,752
net_rshares0
@vivalapanda ·
$1.13
I know this is gonna sound crazy, but maybe the reason they became so successfully is because they don't have a patent on them, meaning that anyone can make them thereby reducing the price to a worthwhile one. Who would have thought that reducing the costs of production increases the rates of production? Why even have economists if no one listens to them -_-
👍  , , ,
properties (23)
authorvivalapanda
permlinkre-modprobe-a-brief-musing-on-intellectual-property-20170508t000624419z
categorymusing
json_metadata{"tags":["musing"],"app":"steemit/0.1"}
created2017-05-08 00:06:21
last_update2017-05-08 00:06:21
depth1
children0
last_payout2017-05-15 00:06:21
cashout_time1969-12-31 23:59:59
total_payout_value0.850 HBD
curator_payout_value0.282 HBD
pending_payout_value0.000 HBD
promoted0.000 HBD
body_length360
author_reputation30,934,417,109
root_title"A brief musing on intellectual property"
beneficiaries[]
max_accepted_payout1,000,000.000 HBD
percent_hbd10,000
post_id3,251,036
net_rshares1,015,435,036,334
author_curate_reward""
vote details (4)