Comment Re:Shockingly? (Score 4, Insightful) 185
I work in the technology space, where we're heavily investing in R&D. And we don't own a thing - it's all open source, apache software.
Fundamentally I think people are realizing that owning IP is a short-term strategy for many businesses. If the value you provide is entirely locked up in your IP - and not in your customer service and skills, eventually someone is going to come along with a cheaper or free version of your IP. Then your only advantage is the lock-in you already have.
In the long term, companies have to function based on their ability to support their customers - not just throw IP at them. This is especially true in software.