Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

I feel like if a product is abandoned it should become freeware for all to use so the electronic devices involved have a less of a chance to become ewaste.

Kind of how copyright (was supposed to) work, giving access to the public eventually.




Unfortunately it's often not entirely up to the company to decide. They likely use components and software written by various other companies which require strict controls over who may have access to it. The nature of those contracts would have to change first.


It should be easy to pass a law that makes all these contracts null and void. The end-users' rights should be supreme.

If the companies making components don't like this, they should be more careful about who they sell components to.




Join us for AI Startup School this June 16-17 in San Francisco!

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: