During a tour of SpaceX’s Starbase facility with Jay Leno, Elon Musk explained why the company avoids patents.
When Leno asked whether SpaceX had patented the material used to build its ships, Musk replied:
No, we don’t really patent things. Patents are for the weak.
Musk argued that patents obstruct rather than encourage innovation:
You know, the problem is patents are generally used as a blocking technique. They’re like using landmines in warfare. They don’t actually help advance things. They just stop others from following you. And most patents are BS.
On April 11, 2025, Jack Dorsey wrote:
delete all IP law
I agree.