[sdiy] No (free) hardware lunch

[cheater00 .]

Hi Paul,

On Thu, Apr 10, 2014 at 6:10 PM, Paul Schreiber <synth1 at airmail.net> wrote:
> Also, you don't have 50 people selling end-products using this so-called "free information". I think the vast majority of "code hobby people" are not reselling this code. They use it, get bored, move on to something else.
>
> No so in, especially now, the Euro rack world where there are literally 100 people futzing about.
>
> Paul S.


It seems to me if there's an actual 100 entities copying designs from
others, then one of the following is true of each of them:

a) the entity is big and operates their own business, online shop,
delivery chain, etc. Their transgression will be known reasonably
quickly if you're looking out for this sort of thing.

b) the entity is tiny. They make little profit and little production.
They sell through one of the bigger outlets because most people don't
want to lose their time with flaky group buys, flaky internet sales,
etc. And if they do operate via group buys, it's nearly certainly on
one of the large internet forums.

Is this a true assessment? If not, can you give me a different
example? (no need to call any names, or alternatively, mail me the
details off-list)

If it's a true assessment, then we can come up with a systemic
approach to making both of these ineffective.

In case (b), we are looking at the option of boycotting their outlets.
Be it a popular online shop or a popular forum (you know which one's
I'm talking about). If we hold together as manufacturers we should be
able to force their hand. This way, by talking to the major outlets
(fora, online shops, music shop chains) we can kill off most of those
tiny endeavours all at once. An honest manufacturer might be able to
negotiate on many levels - talk about the shop's reputation, try to
make a business deal (perhaps offer a version of their ripped off
module, reduced to the quality of the copy, at a price similar to that
copy), or finally ask the other manufacturers to take action with him.
If a shop suddenly starts getting delays from many manufacturers
they'll listen up. If a forum starts losing posts from many important
people, they'll listen up as well.

In case (a), with enough of us constantly talking about how terrible
that huge ripoff manufacturer is, we should be able to make the
typical buyer feel bad enough that they won't even buy the ripoff
modules directly from them. Popularizing the information is certainly
important. There should, for one thing, be a guide to what module was
ripped from what original. It should be accompanied by a very detailed
and believable description of why that is the case, though.

An increasing amount of reasons become apparent recently for synth
manufacturers to come together as a larger entity. This is one of
them, but also standardizing, being able to coordinate efforts,
perform good group buys of components, being able to afford good
metrology (not everyone can afford an Audio Precision box or a 6-digit
multimeter), etc.

Cheers,
D.