Wednesday, June 26, 2002

the computer as informational Coke machine Send this entry to: Del.icio.us Spurl Ma.gnolia Digg Newsvine Reddit

the computer as informational Coke machine The CS Monitor has a very thoughtful piece on intellectual property law, which delves into its history, original intent, current uses, and future prospects:
Corporations now are claiming ownership of everything under the sun, if not the sun itself: body parts, business practices, the genetic code. They even are claiming ownership of the English language. McDonald's has asserted trademark claims to 131 common words and phrases, such as "Always Fun" and "Made For You." Supposedly, this patent frenzy serves as an incentive for invention and discovery. But more often the opposite is the case. Researchers now must navigate a minefield of competing patent claims. One new virus-resistant strain of rice can't be sold because of the need to get approvals from so many different patent holders. In university research labs secrecy and paranoia have replaced collegiality. At MIT some graduate students don't want to defend their theses for fear of revealing proprietary information.
These examples are anecdotal, and I'd be much happier if they were more concrete and cited. But they're very valid concerns which need to be considered as "costs" when discussing the benefits of IP. It's easy to dismiss IP opponents as information wants to be free anarchists, warez kiddiez, and cheapskates. But some of us simply think IP is a bad idea.