Re: [Paddlewise] Boat Design

On 14 Aug 2004 at 1:01, Elias Ross wrote:

> is "free as in freedom".  I'm many of you out there have heard of
> Linux, or maybe the web browser Mozilla or HTTP server Apache.  All of
> these software packages are free to copy, with some restrictions. 
> They are copy-lefted, not public-domain, meaning that the original
> creator reserves certain rights and control over their own copyrighted
> work.

Interesting comments.  The Economist recently had an article on the 
open source software model and proposed that the same approach could 
be used in other businesses.  As you say, you make your money on 
providing value to the customer, not battling for ownership in the 
courts.

This could work well for things like S&G, strip and SOF designs, 
where the information, not the physical product itself, is important. 
However, it is harder to use with a manufactured product.  If kayaks 
were modular, where one could pick a hull from, say, Mariner, a deck 
from VCP, fittings from Seaward etc, then that would be different, 
but "free" (in the user-contribution sense) manufactured products are 
tougher to see working (star trek replicator based manufacturing 
excepted).

One good thing would be to see features freely licenced.  You can 
patent all you want, but if you retain exclusive manufacturing and 
sales rights, your market may be poor.  If someone invents the best 
ever widget for kayaks but limits them to their own wonky boats, then 
the world will not beat a path to their door.  However, if any 
manufacturer can include the widget either by licensing the 
manufacture of their own version for inclusion or buying the widget 
modules of the first, the first guy can make money even if no one 
ever buys one if his kayaks.

BTW, a local store/manufacturer that gained considerable notoriety 
for "borrowing" designs and features from established kayak companies 
recently closed up shop.  I know that they once claimed that they 
sold boats for Boreal, but these were in fact very cheap copies.  The 
market place seems to have worked in this case.

Mike
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed
here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire
responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author.
Submissions:     PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net
Subscriptions:   PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************