In this fascinating article from Wired, Aarian Marshall explains how the complexity of computer systems in cars has now resulted in thorny legal issues about intellectual property–the rights of car companies to keep secret their algorithms (and such) in their car designs–and the rights of car owners to have access to the data they need to fix their cars. In addition, there are issues about the kinds of data that cars collect as drivers use them, and where ownership of that data lies.

There are issues here not only involving the fact that both the car’s computer and the person’s driving are required to produce the data (so who owns it?), but also that so much data is generated now with the impressive advances in car computing technology. We will probably see many more issues like this arise in the near future, and continue to arise the more cars become computational machines. Read more here!

Accompanying image courtesy of Jessica Poundstone