In my adult life, I have seen two small niches completely explode the instant the underlying patents expired: mechanical keyboards and 3D-printing. In the forme

In my adult life, I have seen two small niches completely explode the instant the underlying patents expired: mechanical keyboards and 3D-printing. In the former, companies like Kailh started off producing copies of existing Cherry designs, but they've since expanded to their own original designs which in my opinion are vastly superior. At the same time, the original Cherry design's monopoly allowed the community to center on their shape and mounting mechanisms as a standard (despite the fact that they're not great and can be improved). If it were a free-for-all, I feel like there would be a lot less consensus on the form factor. I think the world has outgrown our current approach to IP, but as long as it continues to suit the needs of those who already hold resources, nothing will change.