3 ms·

I'm completely in love with FPGAs and the possibilities that they bring. But, they bring a number of problems with them. Because the core designs used are gen

by lwhi 16y ago

I'm completely in love with FPGAs and the possibilities that they bring. But, they bring a number of problems with them. Because the core designs used are generally protected as intellectual property, all of the problems commerce currently has in relation to IP protection, are duplicated in this area of hardware design. It seems that in the new coming digital age, ideas really are the main currency - and at the moment I can't really understand how things are going to pan out economically. Our traditional economic models (with scarcity driving price upwards) don't seem to sit well with IP (where abundance is unlimited). I can only imagine that these IP problems will become more complex as time goes by - even more new IP markets are going to be formed in the near future, as rapid-prototyping and 3D printing become more commonplace.

JoachimSchipper 16y ago
> even more new IP markets are going to be formed in the near future Well, we'll have either that, or rampant piracy...
- lwhi 16y ago
  .. or (more optimistically) cultural and economic change that lets IP exchange hands freely without cost :)
  - JoachimSchipper 16y ago
    Yes, that's what I said. ;-) Seriously, though, if you're an American or citizen of a Western country, you should be careful what you wish for. The fact that the Western world still owns pretty much all IP is a huge economic advantage, as long as everyone honors it. And the so-called "knowledge economy" only works if knowledge can actually be said.