Lady Ada: Limor Fried, Adafruit industries, intellectual property and open source hardware

Abstract

This paper provides a profile of Limor Fried of Adafruit Industries – as an advocate of open source hardware, and a policy campaigner for intellectual property law reform. This work considers the copyright challenges for open source hardware – particularly with the US Supreme Court decision on copyright subsistence in Star Athletica LLC. v Varsity Brands Inc., and ongoing conflicts over intermediary liability and technological protection measures. It reviews the trademark disputes of Adafruit Industries – looking at the matter of Fried v Linco Inc. It explores the intervention of the Open Source Hardware Association in the design patent dispute in Luxembourg v Home Expressions Inc. It analyses how Adafruit Industries has engaged in defensive patenting, and pushed for patent law reform in dialogues with President Barack Obama. The conclusion considers how open source hardware advocates such as Limor Fried and Adafruit can play an important role in intellectual property law reform in the future. It also explores current and future challenges for Adafruit and open source hardware – including the current coronavirus COVID-19 public health crisis.