Russia Claims IP Rights In Manufacture of AK-47 502
Daniel Dvorkin writes "In the latest example of over-the-top intellectual property demands, Russia wants licensing fees for the production of AK-47s. According to first deputy prime minister Sergei Ivanov, the unlicensed production of Kalashnikovs (which have been around in very nearly their current form for 60 years) in ex-Soviet Bloc countries is 'intellectual piracy.' A giant but declining power starts demanding royalties on commonly used methods and materials that are widely understood, well known, and by any reasonable standard have long been in the public domain — does this sound familiar?" Wikipedia notes that the Izhevsk Machine Tool Factory in Russia obtained a patent on the manufacture of the AK-47 in 1999.
Re:What do you want them to do? (Score:3, Interesting)
The Western AR-15 design has been wildly successful in this regard, with what is a de-facto open-source system. It's a highly modular design which has been widely tested with numerous production variations, accessories, and consumables.
Good! (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Sounds fair to me (Score:5, Interesting)
Controlling the Russian Beast (Score:3, Interesting)
One of the biggest mistakes that we Westerners committed was to admit the Russians into the G-8. The original G-7 was intended to be the group of leading industrialized democracies committed to Western values.
We admitted the Russians in the hope that, although Russia was still highly non-Western (in, for example, its treatment of sexual-orientation or ethnic minorities), being lenient on Russia would encourage the Russians to modernize their society along Western lines. Well, we were wrong. Just last week, the Russian police smiled in approval as ordinary Russians [nytimes.com] violently beat up participants in a demonstration calling for rights for homosexuals. Some of the victims of the violence were European politicians who had participated into the demonstration.
The Russians make a mockery of the G-8 and its principles. This demand for licensing fees on supposed patents of a 60-year-old technology is the latest in a string of non-Western activities.
The time has come for us to end this nonsense. We should expel Russia from the G-8, restoring the orignal name of "G-7".
Not quite true... Urban legend time (Score:3, Interesting)
Actually, he wasn't. The US was funding a different set of Afghans versus the Soviets at the time (there were multiple groups fighting them), and bin Laden was getting his support from the Saudis and other Islamists. That's part of the reason he dislikes the US so much - we were funding his competition.
Re:Pay or Die! (Score:3, Interesting)
Are you serious? (Score:2, Interesting)
That said, the Russians probably have about as much chance of getting royalties for the AK-47 as the Cuban government does for every Che Guevara shirt in the world. But imagine if they did... every Cuban would have a Corvette (well, as long as Fidel was happy with that, but that's another story).
Re:Capitalism wins... (Score:3, Interesting)
Russia MAY have been headed towards communism for a few years under Lenin. Never since then has it even tried to be communist. They used the rhetoric, but that's something different.
FWIW, this was probably wise of them. I may not like dictatorships, but at least they can be made to, sort of, work. I'm not convinced that communism could ever be made to work on larger than a village scale. Even then it's iffy. And I doubt that Marxism could ever work on ANY scale. Groups that I'm aware of that have seriously tried have come apart at the seams withing a year, and that's will all members at least claiming to be doctrinally committed. (Admittedly, I'm talking about a very small number when I say "that I'm aware of", and that, in and of itself, is an indication that it's rather unsuccessful.) Usually either the groups disintegrate, or they devolve into a dictatorship. I've knowledge of ONE that turned into a rather unsuccessful democracy. (I don't know whether or not they ever voted to adopt Robert's Rules of Order...but there were a fantastic number of "committee meetings".)
Public Domain. (Score:3, Interesting)
The AK-47 was developed under what is arguably the worst state monopoly system in history and is public domain. Specific improvements might be patented but many people paid a heavy price for it's original development and production. Ironically enough, it probably violated several western patents at the time but not even the USSR had the nerve to own ideas outside it's territory. Other nations and companies were free to make AK-47 all day long until the 1999 patent.
So yes, it was open source in a way, but real inventions should not be confused with software, business methods or grocery lists. Software patents are a bad joke and worse law.
Re:Pay or Die! (Score:1, Interesting)
If the Eastern Block had thought to use IP during the cold war we might have been unable to threaten them with nuclear weapons?
Re:Pay or Die! (Score:3, Interesting)
Every single bullet on the planet will be recoded to stop working in old unpatched guns.
*shrug* (Score:4, Interesting)
Or how about a bit of gay bashing [liveleak.com]?
Same tech, different caliber (Score:3, Interesting)
(Anyway, mine's legal: I own a Saiga-12, a 12-gauge semi-auto Kalashnikov shotgun manufactured by Ishmash in Izhevsk. It's the fastest, most reliable semi-auto shotgun on God's gray Earth, for only about $400. Even in that huge caliber, it's pretty much the same gun).
Re:AK's are varied and spread far & wide (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Pay or Die! (Score:3, Interesting)
As opposed to taking the profits of average Americans and giving them to the US energy industry. We're talking about companies that are making record profits quarter after quarter by manipulating the system. Currently there are radio ads running trying to convince people to write their congressmen to REDUCE the regulations on the energy industry so they will be free to increase their profits. These ads sound a lot like the ones the cable/telecom industry were running a few months ago trashing net neutrality. Both industries say they need to be free to innovate. Telecom innovated by giving us ISDN, and then DSL once the cable companies gave us faster broadband. The tech was old by the time we got it, and had limited availability because the Bell monopolies previously had no incentive to upgrade their switches.The energy industry innovates by not building a single refinery in 30 years and shutting down refineries 'for maintenance' at the beginning of the summer season. When do you suppose they are going to 'innovate' emission controls and CO2 sequestration at coal powered power plants if the government doesn't threaten to beat them with a big stick?
BTW, the US government openly takes profits from businesses and individuals every day of the year. That's how we pay for our schools and our roads and our war against terrorism.
But I'm not worried about scaring you. Your used to that. Politics have been nothing but scare tactics since 9/11.
AK-47, Prior art and GPL (Score:5, Interesting)
So there is a strong case for prior art, with patents (?) already held by the National Socialist Workers Party of Germany.
After this point, the AK-47 used a different manufacturing technique to greatly simplify the build compared to the MP44. However, these simplified blueprints are very very closely related to the Tokarev SVT. If you have ever stripped down an SVT, and compared this to an AK, you will see they are pretty much the same construction techniques, just in a different scale.
Secondly - I dont know if anyone can remember 'The Soviet Union', but it was a communist state based on the ideals of Marxism, geographically located to the East of Europe. Its a 20th Century thing - ancient history. The 'rights' to the AK47 lie entirely with the Soviet state. NOT Russia - but the Soviet Union, which is a different animal entirely. Unless of course Mr Putin wishes to disagree
Thirdly, being a Soviet state, the 'intellectual property' produced by that state belongs to the workers, and not just the workers who form part of the collective of that state, but all the workers of the world. The AK47 was, if you like, GPL'ed to the point where all workers of the world were free (even encouraged) to make millions of copies of the people's machine gun, and use this tool to overthrow their Fascist, Capitalist, Monarchist oppressors.
So don't pay attention to the lawyers good people - if you find yourself slaving away 60+ hours a week to make other people rich whilst you can barely put food on your table - then by all means, get together with your comrades and build yourselves some AK47's. Anyone that denies you that basic right is a Capitalist oppressor and a Fascist invader of the Motherland.
Re:Good news (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Pay or Die! (Score:2, Interesting)
In fairness to Technos (and despite his reply to your post) I was also told by serving military personnel in the 80s that NATO ammunition could be fired from Russian firearms, but not vice-versa, and that this was due to intentional design by the Russians.
Of course, that was hearsay at the time, and obviously has no validity now.
Re:Polonium patent? (Score:3, Interesting)
Stop the myths, please.
The STG44 was first on the field. The AK47 design was started three years before that. If you've ever had the opportunity to take them both apart (I have) you will see that they are both original designs.
Re:Controlling the Westernised Russian Beast (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Pay or Die! (Score:2, Interesting)
Why without looking it up? Why should we fail to research our own arguments just because you did?
Re:Pay or Die! (Score:3, Interesting)
If Russia can make a profit off of helping Iran, knowing it will end badly for Iran but cost America billions of dollars, they'll do it with good reason. The profits will help their economy and the cost to America and its allies will increase Russia's relative gains. There is some pretty damning evidence to suggest that this is exactly what is they're doing.