He developed the game on company time. If he'd lived in a capitalist country, the government wouldn't have taken control of Tetris, but the company would have. Every software company contract I've ever heard of has a clause that says the company owns any code you produce while working there.

[–] Stoler@lemmy.ml -2 points 1 year ago

I’ve worked at a handful of companies and am currently employed at one that do not do this.

[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, but you choose to work for a company. Don't pretend that's the same as the government of the country you happen to be born in taking ownership of your creations. In a capitalist country, had Alexey Pajitnov chosen to develop the game himself, he would have made much more from it. If he had done that in the USSR, he'd still have his creation and all its monetary proceeds taken away from him.

[–] HorseRabbit@lemmy.sdf.org 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Under capitalism your choice is to sell yourself or become destitute. That's not really a choice, it's just indirect coercion.