They say you can't own an idea, or can you? A sad realization in this world is that there are some systems in place that just make no sense. We're supposed to advance in society and help build mankind, but if somebody invents the frisbee, but better, they'll be facing a lawsuit because somebody already thought about plates you can throw hundreds of years ago.

Maybe not to that exact extreme, but the reasoning behind many intellectual property suits isn't too far off the mark. In the music industry, we see people get sued for saying the same phrase somebody did in the 70s, or they can get sued for using a similar set of notes as somebody. In the video game industry, it's represented in Nintendo taking down fan made games, what happened in the Retro Game Room several years ago, in developers like those behind Yooka Laylee, Bloodstained, and Mighty No.9 who lost the rights to their iconic franchises and had to start over, and as hundreds of developers eagerly want to make a new Banjo Kazooie on behalf of Rare, Microsoft continues to sit on the rights to the franchise, letting the dust pile up despite the clear potential.

How do you feel about intellectual property laws? Do you think that they're a necessary protection to make sure ideas don't end up stolen and knocked off, or do you believe them to be ridiculous tools that rich people to sue poor people with?

Actually a little disappointed no one's started any discussion on this. I haven't really sat in on many conversations about intellectual property rights, and I wanted to get a feel for a few different arguments before I really put together my own opinion. I guess it's possible most everyone else is in the same boat. Considering that, I'll play devil's advocate.


I'm supportive of a mostly free market, so my initial gut feeling on the subject is that anyone who's concerned about not being able to make it in a market previously untapped but now rapidly opening up to competition as a result of their innovation should simply strive to produce a better product. The fact that nothing will ever foster innovation like competition does is easily demonstrated by the absolutely massive leaps and bounds in technology sparked by warring nations. Not just in terms of military hardware as seen in weapons, vehicles and body armor from the US Civil War, World War I, and World War II, but also in the areas of flight, space travel, and cyber security from the space race and threats of espionage.

On it's face, it would seem as though intellectual property laws not only stifle innovation, but protect and promote monopolies and cartels who corner a market and overcharge for an inferior product or service. That said, I can also see how one could argue that they can protect small startups from large corporations ever hungry for new acquisition.


I look forward to reading everyone's points and opinions.