Re:Isn't this nearly the same as a patent? (Score 1)

You are missing that patents are strictly time-based. Ransom also adds amount-based, as well. This means that there are *two* limits that can be reached for the product to go open & free: time *OR* money. You can think of this as a patent of sorts (roughly), but a patent that expires once the owner has made some amount of money (such as $500, or $15000 or whatever). Unlike a patent which keeps on accumulating money until the time limit runs out.