Article

2017-05-15 Science & Technology

Here's Why U.S. Special Forces Want Russian Machine Guns

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Posted by Skidmark 2017-05-15 00:12|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 What about patent protection?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2017-05-15 05:37|| 2017-05-15 05:37|| Front Page Top

#2 One wonders whether there could be a copyright issue with producing Russian weapons in America without a license, though Russian and Chinese spies haven’t been reticent about helping themselves to U.S. technology. Either way, it seems like a sensible and economical idea to produce foreign weapons in America, rather than having to procure them from unreliable or unsavory international arms merchants.

g(r)omgoru, Those machine guns been around so long that any patents would have expired. Note they mention 'copyright' in the article. Copyrights only apply to the original drawing and not to the actual mechanical device itself. Since the American manufacturer(s) will have to come up with their own drawings, foreign copyrights would not apply to them, although they can copyright their own drawings.

The original PK machine gun was introduced in 1961 with an improved version introduced in 1969. Picture of PKM at link.

The NSV was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1971. It is no longer being produced in Russia; the manufacturing license for the NSV ended up in Kazakhstan after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The NSV has been manufactured in Bulgaria, India, Poland and Yugoslavia under license. Picture of NSV at link

So it's been at least 46 years since the above guns were introduced. I'll say it's pretty much a safe bet we no longer have to worry about patent protections.

Posted by Seeking cure for ignorance 2017-05-15 09:25|| 2017-05-15 09:25|| Front Page Top

#3 If the US government gets involved with this idea, it has already failed.

Posted by chris 2017-05-15 09:51|| 2017-05-15 09:51|| Front Page Top

#4 Funny, patent infringement concerns on weapons of war.

Posted by Skidmark 2017-05-15 11:06|| 2017-05-15 11:06|| Front Page Top

#5 1. Patents are country specific. Even if there were patents in Russia (or the USSR) they would not apply in the US. Only a patent issued in the US would be an issue.

2. Patents would have to be filed within 12 months of the first commercial availability of these weapons. After that you are statutorily barred from filing.

3. If any IP is an issue, it might be design copyright. This is "thin" protection, but an exact replica might run afoul.

Posted by Iblis 2017-05-15 11:37|| 2017-05-15 11:37|| Front Page Top

#6 I must admit that the irony of USA stealing Russian designs tickles my fancy.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2017-05-15 13:39|| 2017-05-15 13:39|| Front Page Top

#7 Maybe I really do want to make a cheap machine shop 3D scanner.

Posted by 3dc 2017-05-15 22:23|| 2017-05-15 22:23|| Front Page Top

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