Actually them being separate and distinct things is the right and proper way of the world and better than a confused blurred mess of "intellectual property".
Truly innovative ideas: Patent and 20 years protection at some cost and significant paperwork.
Duplication or derivative of an expression (whether source code or binary files): Copyright and a long protection (too long but that is a separate topic) of that expression and derivatives of it.
Creative and unique design: Registered design (Design patent in US) fairly weak and narrow protection, not sure of the duration.
Copyright should be narrow protection as this case supports. That doesn't mean that no other protections should be applied to creative works.
Comments
Actually them being separate and distinct things is the right and proper way of the world and better than a confused blurred mess of "intellectual property".
Truly innovative ideas: Patent and 20 years protection at some cost and significant paperwork.
Duplication or derivative of an expression (whether source code or binary files): Copyright and a long protection (too long but that is a separate topic) of that expression and derivatives of it.
Creative and unique design: Registered design (Design patent in US) fairly weak and narrow protection, not sure of the duration.
Copyright should be narrow protection as this case supports. That doesn't mean that no other protections should be applied to creative works.