Philosophy - Future of Cubing

I would assume that since it was invented and sold in the early eighties, and typical patents last no more than 20 years, Rubik would no longer have any rights to his cube. But that shouldn't matter, since he's already made a fortune, unless he's squandered it. And he's still able to sell his name to other merchandising (such as the Rubik's Revolution :( ).
 
StefanPochmann said:
Dene said:
What do you mean? Rubik has the legal rights to his cube, he invented it, that is how patents work.
Click to expand...
http://www.okpatents.com/phosita/archives/2004/10/rubiks_cube_ter.html
Click to expand...

So it's the trademark that can be upheld now, not the patent? That makes much more sense. Of course, Seven Towns owns the trademark, not Rubik himself, so Rubik would be dependent on whatever percentage he can still collect due to whatever agreement he has with Seven Towns, I guess. I don't know what connection Rubik has to Seven Towns, if any, but I'd guess there's something there. Seven Towns claims Rubik holds the copyright, for what that's worth.

Seven Towns has an interesting, rather extreme statement about their rights here:
http://www.rubiks.com/lvl3/index_lvl3.cfm?lan=eng&lvl1=inform&lvl2=contct&lvl3=useofr
Notice that the patent isn't even mentioned here. The patent apparently no longer is of any importance.

I wonder if they would consider the image at the top of this page to be a copyright or trademark infringement?
 
Well I think the patent expires after a certain amount of time. I guess Seven Towns is trying to prevent others from selling "fake" cubes. I'm not sure how the producer of the cube4you DIYs gets away with making them.
 
Ah so he was too slow on getting the international patent, although Seven Towns still has the copyright. But, there is still the newer cubes, still coming out, that Rubik has the rights to. So as long as he keeps on designing bigger cubes, he will keep the rights to the name "Rubik's cube" or whatever he names the next big cube.
It's a shame he didn't get a heavier patent, but I guess he didn't expect it to take off as it did.
 
No, that's not what I mean at all. Like it mentions, this is a part of his intellectual property. The man invented one of the most well known "items" in the modern world today, and he lost most of his rights to make any claim over it, and I think that's sad. If I myself were to invent some genius toy that were to make such a huge impact, I would like my name to be branded with it for as long as it lasts. I don't think Mr. Rubik himself is overly concerned about earning bucketloads of money over it, he doesn't seem the type of person, although I may be wrong. As for the competitive market, of course it could still be there, but to use the name/design, they should have to get the rights to use it as that seems the fair thing to do.
 
I think that having himself named after a toy, and the amount of money he has, is far more than enough. FAR more.
 
i dont like how people refer to cube as a toy. Even Erno refers to the cube as a toy. For me it's not a toy; I don't know WHAT it is. It's something more.
Toy makes it seem too degrading. A stupid Barbie is a toy. I'd much more prefer a "puzzle"
 
Dene said:
If I myself were to invent some genius toy that were to make such a huge impact, I would like my name to be branded with it for as long as it lasts.
Click to expand...
And this is not the case? His cube *is* universally known under his name, even though often misspelled. I don't get the problem.

Is there a word for "being greedy on someone elses behalf"?
 
Perhaps, but if he were to lose any rights over it, people would soon start naming it under something different, and it would eventually lose the name. I mean, how many people have heard of Turing, and the work he did on what we now know as the computer? Certainly, anyone studying anything to do with computers should know his name, but otherwise, there would only be a small minority. It hasn't even taken 100 years for his name to disappear into virtual non-existence.
What I'm trying to say is, I think the name is extremely important. I think I may have implied that Rubik should get some monetary gain off the cube, but that isn't what I meant. I just think, for certain, any cube or type of imitation cube should always have to be under his name.
 
I hope everyone realizes that Erno Rubiks was not the only one that invented "a cube" puzzle. Just around the time he did it, some others made a similar puzzle, but their constructions were different (magnets for one if I remember correctly). You can find the basic story on http://www.rubiks.com/lvl3/index_lvl3.cfm?lan=eng&lvl1=inform&lvl2=medrel&lvl3=histry and I think more information is also on the rubiks.com site, but a little hidden
 
Dene said:
if he were to lose any rights over it, people would soon start naming it under something different
Click to expand...
What? You can't be serious. With the trademark/copyright Rubik himself *forbids* other people to use his name. If it weren't for the trademark/copyright, *more* producers could call their cubes "Rubik". You don't make sense.
 
StefanPochmann said:
Dene said:
if he were to lose any rights over it, people would soon start naming it under something different
Click to expand...
What? You can't be serious. With the trademark/copyright Rubik himself *forbids* other people to use his name. If it weren't for the trademark/copyright, *more* producers could call their cubes "Rubik". You don't make sense.
Click to expand...

I am thinking on a long term scale, not in the next couple of years. Ok so maybe Rubik himself doesn't want it to have his name, but, if it is as you mention, and people do want to use his name, then it's clear that people today feel the same way that I do in that it should keep his name.
But in 100 years, when the cube craze has been dead for a long time, and some child finds it in his long dead grandpa's old toy box, and asks his parents, "what's this?" are the parents going to respond, "that's a Rubik's cube!", or will it be something more like "Oh I think that's one of those brain cubes", or whatever.
I think, even if people can't literally call it a Rubik's cube, they should still go out of their way to make sure it doesn't start being called something different that will stick. Rubik will die eventually, and when that happens he will not have any more influence over what happens with his cube, and from then on I think it should be that the name is used on all cubes.
This is not saying that I think Rubik is being rude and selfish with the current rights, but for the sake of history, some things must be done against the inventors will...
 
If impassable times were reached, couldn't you simply shorten the inspection time? Or possibly make a separate event: no inspection?
 
I would love to have an autographed cube.... haha. stick in in a glass case an keep it for my grandchilren for them to sell for millions to a meuseum calling prehistoric what we now call 'retro'.. lol
 
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