I thought this article about IBM not restricting use on 500 of its patents was interesting because it’s a large company moving away from a centralized model.
I.B.M. executives say the company’s new approach to intellectual property represents more than a rethinking of where the company’s self-interest lies. In recent speeches, for example, Samuel J. Palmisano, I.B.M.’s chief executive, has emphasized the need for more open technology standards and collaboration as a way to stimulate economic growth and job creation.
On this issue, I.B.M. appears to be siding with a growing number of academics and industry analysts who regard open-source software projects as early evidence of the wide collaboration and innovation made possible by the Internet, providing opportunities for economies, companies and individuals who can exploit the new model.
“This is exciting,” said Lawrence Lessig, a professor at Stanford Law School and founder of the school’s Center for Internet and Society. “It is I.B.M. making good on its commitment to encourage a different kind of software development and recognizing the burden that patents can impose.”
And I agree that this is the way to go, in the long run. Collaboration breeds creativity, but also, when more people have more information, they’ll make more responsible, accurate decisions. Not to mention that there’s more accountability in the whole system.
This applies to my work life in that I work in a company where many (not all) of those in power hoard information that they have, so only they can act on it. It really bothers me because, while it’s good for them, it’s bad for the company because people who are making decisions don’t always have all the pertinent information. I don’t understand why the company doesn’t occassionally call them on it.
Not to mention the times that I’ve seen people pick and choose the information that supports their case and ignores the info that doesn’t. If everyone had access to that same information, they could design a solution that took all the information into account and you’d end up with something that had a better chance of working for everyone.
