4 ms·
I don't think a copyright would make sense, in general you can't copyright just a shape. It has to be part of something with creative input. You could trademark
by kadoban 4y ago
I don't think a copyright would make sense, in general you can't copyright just a shape. It has to be part of something with creative input. You could trademark it as part of a logo, but that does not seem to apply here (there's no business trying to use it as their mark).
Maybe a design patent, or normal patent?
(I'm not a lawyer)
Another complication if they tried to get others not to use it: I believe they found a whole family of shapes, not just one shape. Even if they can keep one, seems like it'd be harder to keep them all to themselves.
(not sure they've shown any desire to prevent others from using them either, this is just hypothetical).
- DougBTX 4y ago> It has to be part of something with creative input. I honestly don’t know how copyright rules should or do apply here, but gosh, there must have been some creative input to produce this tile over the decades it took to make!
- kadoban 4y agoYeah that's a good point that I'm not really able to resolve (my knowledge of IP law tends to end not much past what applies to software). I _think_ it wouldn't really count if it's not visible in the output though, the shape itself.
- acadapter 4y agoPerhaps you're right - Penrose tiles were protected by patent and trademark. Wikipedia treats them as copyright-free.
- galaxyLogic 4y agoA basic rule is that you cannot patent a mathematical formula. But what you can patent is a novel way of "doing" anything. So if this is a novel way of covering your floor then my guess you could at least try to patent it.