
I'm sure humanity will gain something positive from this once all the patents have expired
( , Thu 16 Oct 2014, 15:39, Reply)

Given the social good it'd generate, there'd be a very good reason to abandon the prevailing IP model - but that'd make it unattractive to investors.
It looks like the sort of thing where an Impact Fund would be useful: essentially, the UN would pay Lockheed some agreed figure in lieu of profits, in return for which they would make the design freely available to the market.
( , Thu 16 Oct 2014, 15:46, Reply)

But there's all kinds of models for reforming IP for the public good that suggest (say) countries, or the UN, or the WHO contributing to a global fund, which would then be able to incentivise and then buy out certain innovations pro bono publico.
( , Thu 16 Oct 2014, 20:35, Reply)