Franklin's Glass Armonica

CoffeePlease writes "At the time of his death in 1790, when more than 5,000 of his glass armonicas had been built, Ben Franklin had collected no money from his glass armonica. He refused to patent any of his inventions, saying: 'As we enjoy great Advantages from the Inventions of others we should be glad of an Opportunity to serve others by any Invention of ours, and this we should do freely and generously.' Read more here and here. A historical/sci-fi novel by Louise Marley has come out on the subject also. It would be interesting to find out if any other early inventors shared Franklin's generous views on patents." There's even a FAQ.

Comments

Uncle Benny here plays a mean 'armonica

[ThanatosNL]

I don't really get this point. One of our founding fathers invented something and believed that such inventions and ideas should be openly shared for the benefit of everyone (before R&D costs totalled to the millions). Open-source and free software advocates believe the same. What are we going to do, call up our friendly-neighborhood software giant and say "Hey man! You think we're so un-American for being open and sharing so much, but lo! Uncle Benny played a mean armonica, and he wanted everyone to benefit from the free and unhindered proliferation of inventions and ideas. So there! Get off our backs." Or perhaps a letter to the senator?

Sorry, just a bit ridiculous for me. However, I do like the fact bit itself, just not the underlying implications. If no one else sees them, that's cool. Mod me down if you must, I can see how this could be seen as flaimbat. I personally however strongly want to support GNU/Linux, etc, and feel this is the wrong way to go about doing it. I believe we should continue to simply make good free and open software, and work to enlighten others to their advantages. Therefore, you could say I'm not upset with the article itself, but saw a prime example of a particular sentiment that bothers me.

The Slave Economic System is to blame

[Louis Savain]

I've written this before but it's worth repeating.

Intellectual property laws exist only because we have a slavery system. Our livelihood depends on working for others so we can pay our taxes. The reason that we have to work for others is that 99% of people have been deprived of an inheritance in the wealth of the land. Income property is owned by a few and the state. The others are slaves. Artists, programmers and inventors depend on their work to make a living. Can we blame them? We all depend on our labor because we are all slaves. So now we are swimming in a ocean of laws and rules that take away our remaining liberties, one by one.

Let's face it, if you cannot put a fence around it or put chains on it, it does not belong to you. Makes no difference whether it is ideas, writings, software, music or what have you. Once you've released it, like the air, it belongs to nobody and everybody.

Intellectual property owners (such as Microsoft, Adobe, the music industry, and yes, even that Segway inventor Karmen) will fight freedom with everything they've got. They have to because it's the system. Right now they have two formidable weapons: IP laws and powerful police states to enforce them. But those who yearn to be free also have a formidable weapon, the internet.

The internet and other communication technologies (e.g., file sharing systems) are the first major kinks in the armor of a sick system. As technology progresses, the system will eventually collapse. What will happen to a slave-based economy when robots and advanced artificial intelligences replace everybody, i. e., when human labor, knowledge and expertise become worthless?

And don't think for a minute this won't happen in your lifetime. The internet is the latest giant leap in human communication. Before that came mass telecommunication technologies and before that was the movable press. If history is any indication, we can expect a giant leap in technological progress and scientific knowledge. In fact, it is happening before our very eyes.

We should all demand a system where everybody is guaranteed income property, a piece of the pie, an estate if you will. There is plenty for everybody.

Communism confiscates all property and enslaves everybody. Capitalism gives property to a few and enslaves the rest. It's sad. The land should not be divided for a price. It should be an inheritance for us and our children and their children. It's the only way to guarantee freedom and a truly free market in a world where human labor is about to go the way of the dinosaurs.

If you don't own income property. You are a slave. If you have to work for someone else for a living, you are a slave. And don't think that just because you can quit and go to work for someone else, that this makes you free. It does not matter where you go or who you work for. Wherever you go, you are a slave. They know the fear of hunger will keep you working.

Demand liberty! Nothing less.