Well it’s two situations. Look at Google dropping the older Nests. There you can lay in a fine.
For the folding company could make it part of declaring bankruptcy. Standard paperwork.
Either release all your source or prep the needful. Once this is common and expected could even force companies to maintain a public branch to release on cue.
Owning IP is fine. Products ending up in a landfill due to software is not.
Hopefully the law also expands to actually owning all of a product you own. Not paying BMW to unlock the heated seats already in the car you fully paid for.
This is a product that didn’t need to be built. Since it has, I’m at least pleased there are efforts to keep them from being relegated to landfills.
I feel like there should be a law to release the bits we need to support these efforts.
Too many times a product will die or a company will fold along with all its documentation.
Maybe release a final firmware opening up a product. Or at the very least a git repo with api documentation.
You’re presuming they they had documentation
This is also the attitude taken by Ross Scott.
And if the company folding doesn’t comply, gonna fine 'em or what?
Well it’s two situations. Look at Google dropping the older Nests. There you can lay in a fine.
For the folding company could make it part of declaring bankruptcy. Standard paperwork.
Either release all your source or prep the needful. Once this is common and expected could even force companies to maintain a public branch to release on cue.
Owning IP is fine. Products ending up in a landfill due to software is not.
Hopefully the law also expands to actually owning all of a product you own. Not paying BMW to unlock the heated seats already in the car you fully paid for.
Imagine having a thing like that but with a touch screen. Like, a rectangular assistant you can always carry with you! Oh, wait…