[BearCub]

I'm curious as to how this contract was even possible. I would think the design of the wings would be subject to copyright and M7 Aerospace (Fairchild's successor) would have to be compensated in this deal.

You can't just go out and copy someone else's design of a plane, boat, wing, whatever.

[SauronOfMordor]

I'm curious as to how this contract was even possible. I would think the design of the wings would be subject to copyright and M7 Aerospace (Fairchild's successor) would have to be compensated in this deal. You can't just go out and copy someone else's design of a plane, boat, wing, whatever.

You can patent a wing design, but such patent would long since have expired. AFAIK, you can't copyright a wing design

[null and void]

You can't just go out and copy someone else's design of a plane, boat, wing, whatever.

You can if you bought the design!

[Beckwith]

The YA-10A first flew on 10 May 1972, so the copyrights were probably registered before this date.

The copyright would have endured for a first term of 28 years from the date it was secured. During the last (28th) year of the first term, the copyright was eligible for a second renewal term of an additional 28 years. If no application was filed for renewal, the work would enter the public domain after the initial 28 year term.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

It depends on the data rights of the drawings. Some drawings have unlimited data rights (meaning anybody the USAF authorizes can do the work), some of them are limited data rights, some are proprietary.

[tanknetter]

You can't just go out and copy someone else's design of a plane, boat, wing, whatever.

If you're the government, you sure can.

At the beginning of WWII a number of the original aircraft manufacturers of planes like the B-17, F4F and TBF (Boeing and Grumman, for those examples) were extremely reticent to share their designs with Vega, Eastern Aircraft and other manufacturers. The government stepped in and told them to either do it on their own ... or the government was going to seize the designs and do it anyways.

At least part of the justification was that since the aircraft had been produced for the government under government contract, the government was the rightful owner of the designs.

(btw, this issue has been broached again recently with efforts to get the manufacturers of real warplanes to stop charging royalties on the companies that manufacture plastic models of the aircraft.)

The companies in question quickly worked the problem out amongst themselves.

[John Valentine]

You can't just go out and copy someone else's design of a plane, boat, wing, whatever.

YOU can't, that's for sure.

But what the US government (referred to hereafter as US) may do is likely quite a different story, as this design was prepared for US, paid for by US, and owned by US. That makes it ours, and the contract terms undoubtedly make that clear.

I'd be floored if there was any possibility that the A-10's original designers had anything whatsoever to say about what the US does now with their planes.

[shawnlaw]

Gov’t (AF) owns the drawings so no copyright.

[TalonDJ]

You can't just go out and copy someone else's design of a plane, boat, wing, whatever.

Many of these sort of things are done but the contractor reverse engineering the part. Copyrights work a little different with military contracts. The government does not quite 'own' the design but it is close. The government owns the functional requirements and if there is only really one way to satisfy those design requirements then it is not like the other company can cry foul. The new wing is sure to not be a carbon copy design anyway. So basically the function of the wing as far as the outside shape, the hard-points, landing gear provisions, attachment to the rest of the airframe, etc. are all fair game for anyone the military gives the contract to. Just like the way you can buy aftermarket parts for your Ford Mustang and Ford can't sue for copyright infringement. And even if they debatably could they would not because that would damage their relations with the rest of the industry.

[GBA]

I think I see your point, but let’s put this in more common terms. Are you saying that if you have a 30 year old Ford Mustang, then only a Ford dealer can work on it? Are you saying that only Ford can sell you parts? If you take it to someone other than Ford, are you in breach of contract or some law because you took your car to someone else? Can you buy aftermarket parts that improve the performance? At what point is it your car and you can do with it what you will?

[appeal2]

I am sure they are upgraded wings and you have to do to dodge a design copyright if there really is one is move around a rivet or two.