The other day I was talking to a friend and I mentioned that an app that I wished that I had. Now what happens if he builds that and makes enough money to retire? How much money was that idea worth?
Zero. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
I don't think that the idea is worth anything. What would be worth something would be the designing, testing, implementing, marketing, support, etc of the idea. That's where the cost is. The cost isn't in mentioning something in passing that popped into my head.
I think that the idea of things like copyright are good: provide someone a temporary monopoly in order that they can have a chance to make back their costs. Something as a reward for putting in the effort of "creating" in the first place and to encourage more creating. If someone is not going to create a product, I don't see any point in a copyright or patients. If they could only grant those based on intent, but how could you judge intent?
What would I ideally like to happen if I acted as a muse to someone? Well, a free copy of their product would be nice, but what I'd really want would be a cold beer on a warm patio. And I'd buy the second round. ;-)
No risk, no work, no reward. I understand and I am okay with that.
Ideas are easy - it's executing the idea and making the product that's hard.
ReplyDeleteThe current copyright system doesn't help, there's almost no advantage to being first to an idea in software. It's usually the 3rd or later people to the game that perfect the execution of the idea well enough to make money.
So they aught to chuck copyright for software - it's useless. The only people it benefits are idea squatters. You should be rewarded for executing and shipping something, not thinking up vapour.
It's like giving Michaelangelo credit for inventing the helicopter!
Copyrights work fine for software, it's patents we should be worried about. Copyright doesn't stop anybody else from making a new implementation of an old idea. Patents are the major stumbling block when it comes to developing new software. The only problem with copyrights, is the length of the copyright term. It used to be 17 years, and now it's 90 years, or something crazy like that.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you're right Kibbee, I was thinking of patents. The length of copyright is definitely a problem too.
ReplyDeleteHey, off topic, butI was hoping you could answer a question. A google search for "The white knight short story" led me here. I'm looking for the same story. Did you ever figure it out? If you did, please e-mail me the title and author? THanks for your help if you can!
ReplyDelete- Geoff Core
Hi Geoff.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I still have not found any info about that story. :-(
I'm using this for my comment because the page I wanted to comment on has been closed and you said to comment on a current page.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking for that story of the white knight who goes out and slowly becomes the black knight.
Did you ever get a copy Jim?
Thanks,
Steve
sorry, didn't read the posts above mine.
ReplyDeleteDOH!