He credited non-proprietary architecture, with its high rate of innovation and low cost, with helping break open the server market, once dominated by proprietary vendors such as Sun Microsystems Inc.
When combined with Reebok's heritage of innovation for the athlete, MC10's proprietary approach to making high performance electronics "skin like" and invisible to the wearer will enable entirely new classes of intelligent sports equipment and apparel.
Arguably, stronger patents and other intellectual-property rights that made it easier for innovators to keep their proprietary technology to themselves or charge more for licensing it would increase total innovation.