> the factory that built that refrigerator heat pump from the 70' is unlikely to still be making it. Yes but why? Why do we have 400 different models of heat p

> the factory that built that refrigerator heat pump from the 70' is unlikely to still be making it. Yes but why? Why do we have 400 different models of heat pump for every fridge out there? I can understand that once every decade or so a new tech comes out that's worthy of developing parts from. But even then the new parts could be retrofitted into existing designs. > "if a part is no longer produced or sold by the IP owner then it is legal to recreate and sell clones of that part" That would be a huge improvement. What would be an even better improvement would be to abolish so-called IP entirely and to mandate actual durability for all parts sold. Think about lightbulbs: the parts/socket are standard (no IP involved), every factory can produce them, and yet we still have crazy bad durability.