Sort of. It allows lawyers to make hundreds of thousands of dollars on lawsuits if/when it happens. In general though, it's the nature of software to make it hard for someone to steal whole-products worth of code and repurpose it for their own similar-but-different product.
The problem is that current laws now allow someone else to force me to stop using my own code. Which is really a more dangerous threat as far as I'm concerned.
The problem is that current laws now allow someone else to force me to stop using my own code.
Well, no, not exactly. Your reply is talking about patents, which I've agreed need reform. However, you're perfectly free to use and sell your own code, as long as it doesn't duplicate some function which enjoys patent protection. (the problem here is over broad or obvious patents, like Amazon's 1-click checkout) But even then you simply have to do away with the infringing portion. For example, there was a recent post on how storenvy.com just raised funding. Well, they might have had 1-click checkout as a web store function. In the worst case they would have to eliminate that and/or find an even more innovative way for ecommerce customers to check out, but it would not likely mean the end of their business.
In the best case it means a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars, which I don't have. Hence, not too inspired to innovate there.
I'm transitioning my career from commercial software development to data security research/hacking. There's appreciation for innovation there, the business models are new and fluid and the lawyers haven't figured out how to attack them yet.
I have to admit it's not totally due to IP, but the infosec field has fun smart people in it and has the feel of the early days of the PC. There's a real need for it and funding to match. Plus it's usually easier and more fun to break stuff than build it. :-)
The problem is that current laws now allow someone else to force me to stop using my own code. Which is really a more dangerous threat as far as I'm concerned.