RE: Value is in the Software, not in the Concept or Hardware

DAB — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 19:47:32 GMT

In my day, we freely discussed ideas with other engineers about circuits and even the software was freely exchanged among friends.

Then came the lawyers and the concept of Intellectual Property.

After that time, you saw less real technical information about circuits and software, unless you signed one of the idiot licenses to get "inside" access.

At one point I even remember a big movement to "patent" software and the algorithms implemented.

Since then, unless you quickly learned some reverse engineering skills, you had to be happy with buying "black boxes" that ran custom software or roll your own. It amazes me that companies see visions of techno thieves everywhere. They even panic when certain members of their staff quit and go to a competitor.

To me, it has been a very sad opera of stupidity and wasted effort.

Face it. Once an idea or a new feature comes out, it is only a matter of days before someone explains how it is done or provides enough information on the web that any compitent engineer can copy the feature.

Trying to stop the free flow if ideas is an effort in futility. Inspiration may strike at one company exclusively, but it is very rare. I have seen upper management parallized by the decision on what ideas should be quickly patented or copyrighted to secure the IP rights.

If they spent as much time encouraging employees to grow instead of threaten them if they disclose IP, they would make more profit in the end.

How much greed is enough?

My engineering capabilities enable me to copy anything anyone else can make. Not a boast, just a well documented fact.

The way to keep someone like me from duplicating your baby is to make it inexpensive enough so that it is not worth my effort to do so.

That's the bottom line. If you try to hold IP as the tool to make profits you only encourage others to copy your stuff.

Being first gives you a slight edge. In the end you only stay in the lead as long as you provide upgrades to your product that keeps your users loyal. Look at RIMM. They were the best, but were overtaken by events. Their devices are still excellent, but the apple PR has made them yesterdays news.

Whats my point? Consumers determine the market, not the vendor. Consumers are like moths and a flame, they run to the new brightest light. Seldom will your IP protect you from the customer.

Just my opinion,

DAB