Open collaborative design/Intro
'copyleft' which applies special terms to the use of these creative works allowing anyone to freely use, customise and build upon them. Additionally, any derivative works must also inherit the same terms of use.
This ensures that 'copylefted' works, whether they are designs, text, artwork or computer code, become permanently gifted to humanity for the benefit of all. This completely changes the way that people think about contributing their time, creativity and efforts to these kinds of collaborative projects.
For design and engineering, new generations of free and open-source computer-aided design (CAD) programs will allow people to easily design new artefacts and make use of vast quantities of 'copylefted' components, assemblies and whole artefacts from the universal commons which will make the design process very fast and avoids the huge duplication of effort that occurs in this field today.
These design principles can apply to the simplest things that can be made by individuals, all the way up to large-scale and complex systems of national or global infrastructure. Because the designs are not closed or proprietary, people are encouraged to contribute knowing their involvement not only benefits themselves but anyone else who chooses to use the results of their efforts.
Giving the designs physical form will be fast and easy due to emerging high-speed, flexible manufacturing techniques. As a result the open design ecosystem will effectively become an internet for physical objects — and its impact is likely to be as great as the web has been for information.
