Don't get me wrong, I'm the last person to defend the overuse of software patents. Where people are genuinely creating extremely complex functionality in software however, I think they deserve some protection for their outlay.
On your point about historically owning vehicles, as a software developer you will understand that there is a very wide gap in competence between being able to tune a standard motor, and being able to inspect and modify software that controls a car safely. Currently this is protected so that only the vendor can change it, precisely because that's how we wrote the standards - vendors are responsible for their code, and responsible for the safety outcomes on the road.
If we moved to an open model where anyone could modify the software in their car - what do you think would happen to the safety and reliability of that software? I don't think any of us could imagine that it would improve.
On your point about historically owning vehicles, as a software developer you will understand that there is a very wide gap in competence between being able to tune a standard motor, and being able to inspect and modify software that controls a car safely. Currently this is protected so that only the vendor can change it, precisely because that's how we wrote the standards - vendors are responsible for their code, and responsible for the safety outcomes on the road.
If we moved to an open model where anyone could modify the software in their car - what do you think would happen to the safety and reliability of that software? I don't think any of us could imagine that it would improve.