Comment Are you serious? (Score 2, Interesting) 502
Of course the AK-47 should be patented. It's the arguably the most recognizable weapon in the world. The technology is irrelevant: to credit the poster it is very well known now and nothing particularly ground-breaking, but we're talking about more of a 'brand' issue here. For better or for worse (and I'm thinking worse), the AK-47 is absolutely ubiquitous with almost every non-Western (from ex-USSR to Somalia to Iraq to Afghanistan) armed force. This is more of a trademark issue, and perhaps that's not quite what the OP was talking about. Just like the VW Beetle and the iPod, the AK-47 is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world.
That said, the Russians probably have about as much chance of getting royalties for the AK-47 as the Cuban government does for every Che Guevara shirt in the world. But imagine if they did... every Cuban would have a Corvette (well, as long as Fidel was happy with that, but that's another story).
That said, the Russians probably have about as much chance of getting royalties for the AK-47 as the Cuban government does for every Che Guevara shirt in the world. But imagine if they did... every Cuban would have a Corvette (well, as long as Fidel was happy with that, but that's another story).
