--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The problem with copyright is it only…" description: "\"The problem with copyright is it only protects that literal work. It doesn't protect the design and the ideas. That's unfortunate.\" — Shiva Ayyadurai" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_design_the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-pr_1501807.jpg" --- # The problem with copyright is it only protects that… ![“The problem with copyright is it only protects that literal work. It doesn't protect the design and the ideas. That's unfortunate.” quote by Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_design_the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-pr_1501807.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_design_the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-pr_1501807.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_design_the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-pr_1501807.jpg) > “The problem with copyright is it only protects that literal work. It doesn't protect the design and the ideas. That's unfortunate.” [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Copyright protects the exact expression of ideas, not the underlying concepts or designs, limiting protection for innovation. **In simple terms:** Copyright covers words, not ideas. Key Takeaway Consider broader IP strategies. Themes intellectual property law creativity Mood critical analytical Type informational reflective When to use this quote - software development - artistic creation - business planning Key Concepts patents trade secrets design rights Questions to Reflect On - How can creators safeguard concepts? - Are there alternatives to copyright? A Different Perspective Legal frameworks may not keep pace with rapid idea evolution. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Copyright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copyright/) [Copyright Protects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copyright-protects-4264948/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-ideas-213363/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas Unfortunate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-unfortunate-5507622/) [Only](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/only/) [Problem Copyright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem-copyright-5507620/) [Protect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect/) [Protect Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protect-design-5507621/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Copyright protects corporate monopoly rights over culture and provides much of the profits to media conglomeratesm encouraging the wholesale privatization of our common culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-waterman-mcchesney/copyright-protects-corporate-monopoly-rights-over-culture-and/) [Robert Waterman McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-waterman-mcchesney/) > [Counter the effects of culture (steering your design ideas) by going out and looking for new experiences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-gill/counter-the-effects-of-culture-steering-your-design-ideas-by-going/) [Bob Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-gill/) > [The exposure I have had to beautiful materials across the world, from Japan to Italy, enables me to pull design ideas together. This, combined…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-atwood/the-exposure-i-have-had-to-beautiful-materials-across-the-world-from/) [Colleen Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-atwood/) > [ About half of all design patterns out there \[...\] appear to be ways take perfectly natural design ideas and twist them to fit into… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-yegge/about-half-of-all-design-patterns-out-there-appear-to-be-ways-take/) [Steve Yegge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-yegge/) > [Quite a bftauieul website. I built mine and I was looking for some design ideas and your website gave me some. Did you develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/medhy/quite-a-bftauieul-website-i-built-mine-and-i-was-looking-for-some/) [Medhy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/medhy/) > [“I will contend that conceptual integrity is the most important consideration in system design. It is better to have a system omit certain anomalous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-p-brooks-jr/i-will-contend-that-conceptual-integrity-is-the-most-important/) [Frederick P. Brooks Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-p-brooks-jr/) > [What's perfect now, might not be so 10 years hence. Whatever we're basing our design ideas on is not what we remember in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-maxwell/what-s-perfect-now-might-not-be-so-10-years-hence-whatever-we-re/) [Richard Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-maxwell/) > [A quick search through the U.S. Copyright Office's website will show that email was first used in 1979 and has been registered under 'Shiva…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/a-quick-search-through-the-u-s-copyright-office-s-website-will-show/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [On August 30, 1982, I get issued a copyright officially recognizing me as the inventor of e-mail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/on-august-30-1982-i-get-issued-a-copyright-officially-recognizing-me/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [In 2002, Google began an ambitious project to digitize every book in the world. It was intended as a search project: type in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-darnton/in-2002-google-began-an-ambitious-project-to-digitize-every-book-in/) [Robert Darnton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-darnton/) > [“In our haste to disseminate news, it should not be forgotten that the Framers intended copyright itself to be the engine of free expression.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-weinstock-netanel/in-our-haste-to-disseminate-news-it-should-not-be-forgotten-that-the/) [Neil Weinstock Netanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-weinstock-netanel/) > [I think the reality is that copyright law has for a very long time been a tiny little part of American jurisprudence, far removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/i-think-the-reality-is-that-copyright-law-has-for-a-very-long-time/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [Any replacement to the current copyright position (life plus 70 years) needs to have an answer lined up for this, and similar, messy edge cases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/any-replacement-to-the-current-copyright-position-life-plus-70-years/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## More by Shiva Ayyadurai > [I'm the darkie you can't control!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-m-the-darkie-you-can-t-control/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [As a kid, I learned from my parents, teachers, coaches, and friends that what mattered most was Truth - to uncover it, share it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/as-a-kid-i-learned-from-my-parents-teachers-coaches-and-friends-that/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Jobs cannot be created if innovation is restricted to large corporates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/jobs-cannot-be-created-if-innovation-is-restricted-to-large-corporates/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [When I created the email in the U.S., my mentor could have easily copyrighted it and taken credit for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/when-i-created-the-email-in-the-u-s-my-mentor-could-have-easily/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Many people don't even know why they're going to college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/many-people-don-t-even-know-why-they-re-going-to-college/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Even students from rural India may have bright ideas. They need to be tapped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/even-students-from-rural-india-may-have-bright-ideas-they-need-to-be/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Our ancient yogis and sages were not just medical healers, but systems scientists and systems engineers, who saw the body and the universe as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/our-ancient-yogis-and-sages-were-not-just-medical-healers-but-systems/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [In countries like India or China, a Steve Jobs will never come around. The fundamentals aren't there - there's this feudal hierarchy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/in-countries-like-india-or-china-a-steve-jobs-will-never-come-around/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Innovation and meritocracy was what America was based on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/innovation-and-meritocracy-was-what-america-was-based-on/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [The way I look at the world is establishment versus change agents. The establishment is those people who want to keep things the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/the-way-i-look-at-the-world-is-establishment-versus-change-agents-the/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [I think that if the Postal Service dies, it will be the end of democracy as we know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-think-that-if-the-postal-service-dies-it-will-be-the-end-of/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [I have no doubt that my origin and ethnicity have strongly influenced controversy over my invention of email.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/i-have-no-doubt-that-my-origin-and-ethnicity-have-strongly-influenced/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Social media is like a big trade-show. You get to network... you get to make friends and followers. But email is where those friends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/social-media-is-like-a-big-trade-show-you-get-to-network-you-get-to/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [Prior to 1980, people used to dictate to a secretary for preparing written documents and that person would then punch keys on a typewriter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/prior-to-1980-people-used-to-dictate-to-a-secretary-for-preparing/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [When I was at MIT I was a good model minority. But the concept of an Indian immigrant creating e-mail in Newark, N.J., blows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/when-i-was-at-mit-i-was-a-good-model-minority-but-the-concept-of-an/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) [Explore all 70 Shiva Ayyadurai quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) ## More Copyright quotes > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Any replacement to the current copyright position (life plus 70 years) needs to have an answer lined up for this, and similar, messy edge cases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/any-replacement-to-the-current-copyright-position-life-plus-70-years/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [My sense of proprietorship has been so weak that actually I didn't pay attention and I lost the copyrights on a lot of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-cohen/my-sense-of-proprietorship-has-been-so-weak-that-actually-i-didn-t/) [Leonard Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-cohen/) > [I think the reality is that copyright law has for a very long time been a tiny little part of American jurisprudence, far removed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/i-think-the-reality-is-that-copyright-law-has-for-a-very-long-time/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [“In our haste to disseminate news, it should not be forgotten that the Framers intended copyright itself to be the engine of free expression.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-weinstock-netanel/in-our-haste-to-disseminate-news-it-should-not-be-forgotten-that-the/) [Neil Weinstock Netanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-weinstock-netanel/) > [In 2002, Google began an ambitious project to digitize every book in the world. It was intended as a search project: type in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-darnton/in-2002-google-began-an-ambitious-project-to-digitize-every-book-in/) [Robert Darnton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-darnton/) > [The rights of copyright holders need to be protected, but some draconian remedies that have been suggested would create more problems than they would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-leahy/the-rights-of-copyright-holders-need-to-be-protected-but-some/) [Patrick Leahy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-leahy/) > [In India, most people are not aware or are unconcerned about copyright laws. This has proved disastrous for the music fraternity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ilaiyaraaja/in-india-most-people-are-not-aware-or-are-unconcerned-about-copyright/) [Ilaiyaraaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ilaiyaraaja/) > [You need to recognize that the copyright date on a book reflects when it came out, not when it was written - assume that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamais-cascio/you-need-to-recognize-that-the-copyright-date-on-a-book-reflects-when/) [Jamais Cascio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamais-cascio/) > [Whenever a copyright law is to be made or altered, then the idiots assemble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/whenever-a-copyright-law-is-to-be-made-or-altered-then-the-idiots/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [But, like all metaphoric wars, the copyright wars are not actual conflicts of survival. Or at least, they are not conflicts for survival of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-lessig/but-like-all-metaphoric-wars-the-copyright-wars-are-not-actual/) [Lawrence Lessig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-lessig/) > [I have a hunch that the unknown sequences of DNA will decode into copyright notices and patent protections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-knuth/i-have-a-hunch-that-the-unknown-sequences-of-dna-will-decode-into/) [Donald Knuth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-knuth/) > [Napster's only alleged liability is for contributory or vicarious infringement. So when Napster's users engage in noncommercial sharing of music, is that activity copyright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-boies/napster-s-only-alleged-liability-is-for-contributory-or-vicarious/) [David Boies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-boies/) > [I'm a bit cynical that it ever will be addressed properly. I think it is healthy to get some sort of copyright protection. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gabriel/i-m-a-bit-cynical-that-it-ever-will-be-addressed-properly-i-think-it/) [Peter Gabriel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gabriel/) > [The U.S. obviously has all the evidence they need to prosecute bankers. They just need to search their own spy database and then there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-dotcom/the-u-s-obviously-has-all-the-evidence-they-need-to-prosecute-bankers/) [Kim Dotcom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-dotcom/) [Browse all 235 Copyright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copyright/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The problem with copyright is it only protects that literal work. It doesn't protect the design and the ideas. That's unfortunate.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shiva Ayyadurai" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-protects-that-literal-work-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Copyright" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-protects-that-literal-work-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_design_the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-pr_1501807.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_design_the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-pr_1501807.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d8d/shiva-ayyadurai-9754_design_the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-pr_1501807.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The problem with copyright is it only protects that literal work. It doesn't protect the design and the…” — Shiva Ayyadurai", "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": "Shiva Ayyadurai", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The problem with copyright is it...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-protects-that-literal-work-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/the-problem-with-copyright-is-it-only-protects-that-literal-work-it/#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 } } ] } ```