Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter (now X) and Square (now Block), ignited a weekend of debate on intellectual property, patents, and copyright with a succinct post advocating “delete all IP law.” Elon Musk, the current owner of X, responded swiftly with, “I agree.”
The motivation behind these remarks is not entirely clear, but they arise during a time when AI companies, including OpenAI (co-founded by Musk, with whom he is involved in legal disputes), are facing multiple lawsuits that allege copyright violations in order to train their models. Tech evangelist and investor Chris Messina noted this context, suggesting that Dorsey “has a point,” as “automated IP fines/3-strike rules for AI infringement may become the substitute for putting poor people in jail for cannabis possession.”
In contrast, others criticized this perspective. Ed Newton-Rex, whose nonprofit Fairly Trained certifies AI training practices that respect creators’ rights, condemned the Dorsey-Musk exchange as “tech execs declaring all-out war on creators who don’t want their life’s work pillaged for profit.” Writer Lincoln Michel echoed this sentiment, arguing that “none of Jack or Elon’s companies would exist without IP law,” and added, “they just hate artists.”
Dorsey later elaborated, stating that there are “much greater models to pay creators” and asserted that existing systems “take way too much from them and only rent-seek.” His views were challenged when attorney Nicole Shanahan (former running mate of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.) replied emphatically with “NO,” arguing that “IP law is the only thing separating human creations from AI creations” and inviting a discussion on potential reforms.
Dorsey responded, claiming that “creativity is what currently separates us,” and criticized the existing system for limiting creativity and allowing gatekeepers to unfairly control payment disbursement.
Musk’s agreement aligns with previous statements, such as when he told Jay Leno that “patents are for the weak.” A decade ago, during a “patent giveaway,” he pledged that Tesla would not enforce its patents against companies using them “in good faith.” However, Tesla has since sued Australia’s Cap-XX over patents, citing a lawsuit filed by Cap-XX against a Tesla subsidiary as justification for their action.
Dorsey has also expressed interest in open-source solutions for social media, notably initiating the project that evolved into Bluesky, although he grew disillusioned and eventually stepped down from its board. Bluesky CEO Jay Graber recently mentioned that Dorsey’s departure “freed up” the company from appearing to be just a billionaire’s side project.
Additionally, it is notable that the distinction between informal discussions on Twitter/X and actual government policy has become blurrier, with Musk having previously joined the Trump administration and implementing mass layoffs through his Department of Government Efficiency, which is named after a meme and largely staffed by individuals from the tech industry.
