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Note that your wiki articles says it’s difficult to protect, not that it isn’t IP. Further, a quote from the article: “ So since the 1990s, national government

Note that your wiki articles says it’s difficult to protect, not that it isn’t IP. Further, a quote from the article: “ So since the 1990s, national governments have been granting copyright-like exclusive rights conferring time-limited exclusivity to reproduction of a particular layout.” Where did you get these schematics? An individual, or even a small company, having these files is not the same as a large company. Also have you tried releasing a thinkpad clone? have we checked all chinese built laptops to ensure the IP isn’t already being used?

rasz 6y ago
_chip layout_, this wiki article is about silicon, it got its own laws specifically to protect chip layout at the time Western believed they had the upper hand in the high end design engineering. PCB is free game everywhere except I think UK, but good luck fighting it in courts. Not schematics, actual fab files you send to pcb manufacturer + ones you put in a pick&place machine to populate the board. From China, where else, most likely "backed up" by middle level worker to make extra $ on a side. Still no laptop straight clones despite 25 years worth of designs ready for the taking.
- tekknik 6y ago
  Here, from a lawyer saying “register your pcb” https://garson-law.com/ask-dr-copyright-protect-your-software-circuit-boards-and-mask-works/ https://garson-law.com/ask-dr-copyright-protect-your-softwar...
  - rasz 6y ago
    Lawyer telling you he can indeed take your money? I am shocked, sir :) US copyright law does not protect the mechanical or utilitarian aspects of works. You can draw a logo (trademark) and a funny animal (copyright) in copper layer on your pcb and try that, but otherwise you are boned. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2337014 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2337014
    - tekknik 6y ago
      Ok so believe random internet guy but don’t believe a lawyer? Got it. /s

rasz 6y ago

_chip layout_, this wiki article is about silicon, it got its own laws specifically to protect chip layout at the time Western believed they had the upper hand in the high end design engineering. PCB is free game everywhere except I think UK, but good luck fighting it in courts. Not schematics, actual fab files you send to pcb manufacturer + ones you put in a pick&place machine to populate the board. From China, where else, most likely "backed up" by middle level worker to make extra $ on a side. Still no laptop straight clones despite 25 years worth of designs ready for the taking.

tekknik 6y ago
Here, from a lawyer saying “register your pcb” https://garson-law.com/ask-dr-copyright-protect-your-software-circuit-boards-and-mask-works/ https://garson-law.com/ask-dr-copyright-protect-your-softwar...
- rasz 6y ago
  Lawyer telling you he can indeed take your money? I am shocked, sir :) US copyright law does not protect the mechanical or utilitarian aspects of works. You can draw a logo (trademark) and a funny animal (copyright) in copper layer on your pcb and try that, but otherwise you are boned. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2337014 https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2337014
  - tekknik 6y ago
    Ok so believe random internet guy but don’t believe a lawyer? Got it. /s