--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am explicitly not opening the giant can…" description: "\"I am explicitly not opening the giant can of worms that is the ongoing current discussion of patent, copyright, and trademark reform.\" — James Fallows" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a2/james-fallows-13576_cans-of-worms_i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-ca_2201892.png" --- # I am explicitly not opening the giant can of worms that is… ![“I am explicitly not opening the giant can of worms that is the ongoing current discussion of patent, copyright, and trademark reform.” quote by James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a2/james-fallows-13576_cans-of-worms_i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-ca_2201892.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a2/james-fallows-13576_cans-of-worms_i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-ca_2201892.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a2/james-fallows-13576_cans-of-worms_i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-ca_2201892.png) > “I am explicitly not opening the giant can of worms that is the ongoing current discussion of patent, copyright, and trademark reform.” [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He refuses to engage in the complex, ongoing debate over patent, copyright, and trademark reforms, indicating fatigue or strategic avoidance. **In simple terms:** Avoids complex IP reform debate. Key Takeaway Stay out of endless IP debates. Themes intellectual property policy fatigue strategic silence public discourse Mood cautious critical reflective Type opinion political analytical When to use this quote - policy meetings - public statements - media interviews Key Concepts Legal reform political strategy media commentary Questions to Reflect On - Why avoid discussing reforms? - What are the costs of staying silent? A Different Perspective Avoidance may limit influence on needed change. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cans of worms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cans-of-worms/) [Copyright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copyright/) [Patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patents/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Reform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reform/) ## Related quotes > [When in Rome, I must do as the Romans do. When in America, make Bikram copyright and trademark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bikram-choudhury/when-in-rome-i-must-do-as-the-romans-do-when-in-america-make-bikram/) [Bikram Choudhury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bikram-choudhury/) > [Copyright and Trademark are completely different things. Copyright prevents anyone from copying this article and posting it somewhere else. Copyright happens instantaneously the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hank-green/copyright-and-trademark-are-completely-different-things-copyright/) [Hank Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hank-green/) > [From a common-sense standpoint, you're probably on the right road. The problem is, you're opening a can of worms you might not be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-sampson/from-a-common-sense-standpoint-you-re-probably-on-the-right-road-the/) [Kelvin Sampson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-sampson/) > [Like Marxism, Thatcherism is, in fact, riddled with contradictions. Mrs. Thatcher, on the other hand, is free of doubt; she is the label on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-critchley/like-marxism-thatcherism-is-in-fact-riddled-with-contradictions-mrs/) [Julian Critchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-critchley/) > [In Washington, as we learned from the White House transcripts, a president may speak of kicking butts, call a problem a can of worms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-newman/in-washington-as-we-learned-from-the-white-house-transcripts-a/) [Edwin Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-newman/) > [I don't really comment on my personal life because I feel like any comment at all is opening up a whole can of worms.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-don-t-really-comment-on-my-personal-life-because-i-feel-like-any/) [Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/) > [Life's hard, then you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/life-s-hard-then-you-die/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Fame is a can of worms I haven't really had to contend with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-griffin/fame-is-a-can-of-worms-i-haven-t-really-had-to-contend-with/) [Patty Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-griffin/) > [I don't want to stir up a can of worms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-brazil/i-don-t-want-to-stir-up-a-can-of-worms/) [Alan Brazil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-brazil/) > [Never open a can of worms unless you plan to go fishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/never-open-a-can-of-worms-unless-you-plan-to-go-fishing/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [Pedestrian's rights - because we live in California, I've got to address this issue. I don't know where on the fence I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/pedestrian-s-rights-because-we-live-in-california-i-ve-got-to-address/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [The other day I got out my can opener and was opening a can of worms when I thought, "What am I doing?!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/the-other-day-i-got-out-my-can-opener-and-was-opening-a-can-of-worms/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) ## More by James Fallows > [The President? Hmmm, I wonder who that might be? Could it be, perhaps, the sitting two-term incumbent of the same party holding its convention?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-president-hmmm-i-wonder-who-that-might-be-could-it-be-perhaps-the/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [It seems to be the case that for the people who actually are all in with Donald Trump - which is who knows: 35,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/it-seems-to-be-the-case-that-for-the-people-who-actually-are-all-in/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [A basic rule of life for reporters is that you should spend your time talking with and learning about people who are not sending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/a-basic-rule-of-life-for-reporters-is-that-you-should-spend-your-time/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [I seem to be one of the few people in journalism who never worked or wrote for the 'Boston Phoenix.' I certainly read and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/i-seem-to-be-one-of-the-few-people-in-journalism-who-never-worked-or/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [The air that people breathe in many Chinese cities has become dangerously polluted. Their food supply is subject to constant contamination scandals. Now it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-air-that-people-breathe-in-many-chinese-cities-has-become/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [No real-world human being brings to the U.S. presidency the range of attributes necessary for full success in the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/no-real-world-human-being-brings-to-the-u-s-presidency-the-range-of/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [Chinese emissions are a problem not just for its own people but also for the world. It has now overtaken the U.S. as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/chinese-emissions-are-a-problem-not-just-for-its-own-people-but-also/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [A rigid America is also weak and vulnerable, because it sacrifices its unique strength: the energy of people who think they can always make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/a-rigid-america-is-also-weak-and-vulnerable-because-it-sacrifices-its/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [For a decade or more after the Vietnam war, the people who had guided the U.S. to disaster decently shrank from the public stage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/for-a-decade-or-more-after-the-vietnam-war-the-people-who-had-guided/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [Up or out" greatly magnified the careerist emphasis on holding a position rather than doing a job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/up-or-out-greatly-magnified-the-careerist-emphasis-on-holding-a/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [The worst kind of management seeks a single optimum, a one-scale index of efficiency, like the mindless scales of 1 to 10 for grading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/the-worst-kind-of-management-seeks-a-single-optimum-a-one-scale-index/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [The Olympic Games are for 'the youth of the world,' but they're organized and scored by countries. 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Never mail them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/always-write-angry-letters-to-your-enemies-never-mail-them/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) > [It is not widely known that, ever since the end of the Korean War, the United States has spent essentially the same amount of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/it-is-not-widely-known-that-ever-since-the-end-of-the-korean-war-the/) [James Fallows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) [Explore all 50 James Fallows quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/) ## More Cans of worms quotes > [I don't really comment on my personal life because I feel like any comment at all is opening up a whole can of worms.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-don-t-really-comment-on-my-personal-life-because-i-feel-like-any/) [Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/) > [Pedestrian's rights - because we live in California, I've got to address this issue. I don't know where on the fence I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janeane-garofalo/pedestrian-s-rights-because-we-live-in-california-i-ve-got-to-address/) [Janeane Garofalo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janeane-garofalo/) > [Never open a can of worms unless you plan to go fishing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/never-open-a-can-of-worms-unless-you-plan-to-go-fishing/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [I don't want to stir up a can of worms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-brazil/i-don-t-want-to-stir-up-a-can-of-worms/) [Alan Brazil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-brazil/) > [Fame is a can of worms I haven't really had to contend with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patty-griffin/fame-is-a-can-of-worms-i-haven-t-really-had-to-contend-with/) [Patty Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patty-griffin/) > [Life's hard, then you die.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/life-s-hard-then-you-die/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [In Washington, as we learned from the White House transcripts, a president may speak of kicking butts, call a problem a can of worms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-newman/in-washington-as-we-learned-from-the-white-house-transcripts-a/) [Edwin Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-newman/) > [Like Marxism, Thatcherism is, in fact, riddled with contradictions. Mrs. Thatcher, on the other hand, is free of doubt; she is the label on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-critchley/like-marxism-thatcherism-is-in-fact-riddled-with-contradictions-mrs/) [Julian Critchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-critchley/) > [From a common-sense standpoint, you're probably on the right road. The problem is, you're opening a can of worms you might not be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelvin-sampson/from-a-common-sense-standpoint-you-re-probably-on-the-right-road-the/) [Kelvin Sampson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelvin-sampson/) > [The other day I got out my can opener and was opening a can of worms when I thought, "What am I doing?!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-handey/the-other-day-i-got-out-my-can-opener-and-was-opening-a-can-of-worms/) [Jack Handey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-handey/) [Browse all 11 Cans of worms quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cans-of-worms/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am explicitly not opening the giant can of worms that is the ongoing current discussion of patent, copyright, and trademark reform.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Fallows" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-can-of-worms-that-is-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cans of worms" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-can-of-worms-that-is-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a2/james-fallows-13576_cans-of-worms_i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-ca_2201892.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a2/james-fallows-13576_cans-of-worms_i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-ca_2201892.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a2/james-fallows-13576_cans-of-worms_i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-ca_2201892.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I am explicitly not opening the giant can of worms that is the ongoing current discussion of patent…” — James Fallows", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Fallows", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fallows/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I am explicitly not opening the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-can-of-worms-that-is-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fallows/i-am-explicitly-not-opening-the-giant-can-of-worms-that-is-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```