Innovator vs. Exploiter

We often think of the term "exploiter" as a bad thing. A person who exploits children in sweatshops is definitely a bad person. A person who exploits their workers at work is a bad manager. However, an exploiter of ideas is not always seen the same way. Both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were exploiters of an idea and look at how we view them now. They are praised and heralded as great business men who changed the world with what they have done. Neither of them invented the idea that makes them so much money, they exploited it. Xerox and other companies initially thought of the mouse and the visual operating system, but Apple and Windows are the ones credited for them. This creates some interesting ethical questions. When is it ethical to exploit an idea and assume the credit for the idea? How much should the inventor be credited for the idea? When is it considered unethical for an exploiter to benefit from the use of another persons idea? On the other hand, would we even have the idea if it were not for the exploiters?