In a different post I brought on the question of how to maintain patent rights (the right to make money  ) when designing or inventing something, while keeping with the Open Source spirit. 

I guess many people have been doing it for a while, I just had no clue about it...I think its great!!

if I ever come up with something cool and unique, I would want anyone and everyone to build it and use it...as long as no one makes money of it.  Just release the schematics or blue prints onto Server and let anyone with a screwdriver download them and have at it, but I would still like to keep certain rights in order to prevent some big company from using it and making money from my idea.

Anyway, just think its an excellent concept, needs tuning but the foundation is there and the more the need comes up, the further that this it will evolve.

More on Open Source Hardware

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_hardware

Any thoughts?

Had no clue about that... For some reason I would think the military had a strict "its our design" view on that, very cool thought.  I'll look into that, its always good to know how stuff works.

How about some horrible combination of the two?

I totally need to get myself a cnc and a lathe