tcs

Exactly how? Once intellectual property protection expires, the design belongs to the world. There is no 'right kind of people' that are above these laws and rules.

Case study: During the last, mismanaged decade of their existence, the original Schwinn bicycle company was supported by profits from their Airdyne exercise cycle. When the intellectual property rights protection expired on the Airdyne, several competitors brought to market lower cost-to-produce, lower profit margin 'blatant' copies. Schwinn cried 'ripoff'...all the way to bankruptcy court.

You can continually innovate (like DaHon), you can become a low cost producer (like fBike), or you can sit on your behind and wait for someone to put you out of business (like Schwinn and ___________).