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)