Modern Gaming Industry standard business practices styfles economy

It occured to me today that the way modern gaming products launch (in legal terms) is completely designed so that they might reap any revenue which comes from the game. This, at first glance, makes complete sense. They put in the effort, they should be receiving the appropriate reward.

Then, I thought on this. The manor in which they seek to "protect there investment" almost excludes any other business (unless that business is going to be paying them a healthy fee and secondly divulge entirely their enterprise up front in case they where having to be already going to do that).

So, in short, its quickly not viable for others to produce related items for profit.

I only really noticed this on realising how MineCraft has had the opposite effect with its approach. The relative openness of the developer and his company has lead to many, many spin-off "developments" which may or may not earn each person a seperate profit.

Basicly, to my mind here, the lesson is simple. Less restrictive practices and looser licencing lead to economic boom.