Jack Dorsey Says ‘Delete All IP Law’—Elon Musk Instantly Agrees

Over the weekend, a bold statement by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey stirred a fiery debate online. In a brief post on X (formerly Twitter), Dorsey wrote:
“Delete all IP law.”

Elon Musk, the current owner of X and a long-time critic of intellectual property regulations, responded instantly:
“I agree.”

But what exactly do they mean? And why does it matter now?

What Are IP Laws and Why Are They Important?

Intellectual Property (IP) laws include rules that protect inventions (patents), artistic works (copyright), and brand names or logos (trademarks). These laws are designed to ensure that creators, artists, inventors, and businesses have legal ownership and financial benefits from their original work.

If these laws didn’t exist, it would be easier for others — including large corporations — to copy or profit from someone else’s creative output or invention without permission or compensation.

Why Did This Debate Start Now?

Dorsey and Musk didn’t explain what triggered their comments, but it comes at a sensitive time in the tech world.

Major AI companies, including OpenAI, are currently facing lawsuits for allegedly using copyrighted material (like books, art, and news articles) to train their AI models without permission. These lawsuits raise the question: Should AI companies pay creators when their work is used to build powerful tools like ChatGPT?

Dorsey and Musk seem to believe that IP laws are outdated and unfairly restrict innovation — especially in areas like AI. But many critics say removing these laws would only hurt creators, not help them.

Supporters Say IP Laws Are Being Weaponized

Tech investor Chris Messina supported Dorsey’s take, arguing that strict IP rules could lead to harsh, automated punishments for minor violations — especially in AI. He warned this could become the new version of outdated laws that once criminalized things like cannabis possession.

In his view, big companies might use IP rules to punish small players, just like how older laws disproportionately affected poorer communities.

Creators and Advocates Strongly Disagree

But many creators and copyright advocates disagreed sharply with Dorsey and Musk.

• Ed Newton-Rex, founder of Fairly Trained (which promotes ethical AI practices), called their statements:

  “Tech execs declaring all-out war on creators who don’t want their life’s work pillaged for profit.”

• Writer Lincoln Michel said:

  “None of Jack or Elon’s companies would exist without IP law… They just hate artists.”

• Attorney Nicole Shanahan (who briefly ran as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s VP pick) argued:

  “IP law is the only thing separating human creations from AI creations.”

Shanahan stressed that if you want to reform IP, that’s fine — but getting rid of it entirely is dangerous.

Dorsey Defends His View

In follow-up replies, Jack Dorsey doubled down on his opinion. He said the current IP system benefits middlemen, not creators. According to him:

“There are better ways to pay creators… Right now, gatekeepers take too much and don’t distribute money fairly.”

He believes creativity itself — not IP protection — is what truly distinguishes humans from AI.

Musk Has Long Hated Patents

Elon Musk’s position isn’t new. He once told Jay Leno that:

“Patents are for the weak.”

In 2014, Musk even made headlines for announcing a “patent giveaway,” saying that Tesla wouldn’t enforce its patents if others used them in good faith to build electric vehicles. (Though later, Tesla did sue an Australian firm — but only after that company sued Tesla first.)

Dorsey’s History with Open-Source Social Media

Jack Dorsey has also explored open-source ideas, particularly for social media. He started the project that eventually became Bluesky, which aims to decentralize how social platforms work. However, he later left the project, possibly due to creative differences.

Bluesky’s current CEO even said Dorsey’s exit allowed them to “move beyond the shadow” of a billionaire founder.

Why This Debate Matters

This might look like just another social media spat, but it reflects real policy tensions. The tech world is now deeply entangled with governments. Elon Musk, for instance, played an advisory role during the Trump administration and supported ideas like a “Department of Government Efficiency” — drawn straight from internet memes and staffed with Silicon Valley veterans.

In today’s world, when tech billionaires talk, policymakers often listen. That’s why Dorsey and Musk’s call to abolish IP laws — even if half in jest — could shape the future of how creative work, innovation, and AI are regulated.

Versha Gupta

Versha Gupta is a tech freak and co-founder of techzimo.com, she spends more of her time searching latest innovations in the tech world. But being a tech freak, she has the same interest in the entertainment world, she watches all the latest web series on OTT platforms and reviews them on Techzimo. Know more about her on Facebbok Instagram linkedin