Citizen.wired.net

Where to look for the right idea? I've been reading a very interesting book published by Libertarian think tank the Cato Institute. The current copyright debate is quite a conundrum for libertarians -- being both avowed property rights advocates and avowed free speech/free market advocates.

The book, titled Copy Fights: The Future of Intellectual Property in the Information Age (ISBN 1-930865-24-4) is a collection of papers, esays, and presentations from the Nov. 2001 Cato/Forbes ASAP Technology and Society conference. It is a fascinating look at both sides of the argument, and an interesting cross-section of ideas regarding what to do about it.

I don't know what the right idea is, or where it will come from. I am a strong proponent of copyright, but an equally strong believer in free speech and the need to balance the rights of the creator against the needs of society. I am highly incensed at the lying, screaming, whining self-serving manipulations of the music industry, but I don't quarrel for a minute that creators should be rewarded.

This book is as good a summary of the complex issues, and as good a round-up of the major players, as I've seen. Highly recommended.

THE US VS. THEM OF DIGITAL MEDIA

Earlier this week, I posted something about digital rights. I'm afraid this debate is now between the lawyers and politicians, and frankly I've lost track of "the right idea." [...]
[...]I've heard all the stuff about being accused of being a pirate, etc. That name calling isn't the part of the debate I'm asking about. Are there practical solutions that permit both sides to get what they want? If anybody knows where I should look to come up to speed on this, please let me know. Thanks. [Rodent Regatta]

It Must Be All That Sausage

9:02:18 AM

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The music industry, in Germany at least, is now equating the penetration of CD-burners as a 1-to-1 indicator of criminals, and the purchase of blank CDs as a 1-to-1 marker of pirated music CDs -- all to the purpose of blaming piracy for their failure to address real economic and demographic issues.

We all know at least half those blank CDs are used to pirate copies of Windows and have absolutely nothing to do with music. Half the remaining CDs are used to pirate video games and other software, and have nothing to do with music. That takes it down to 1-in-4.

Half of those CDs are probably used for legitimate file transport and backup uses, and have nothing to do with music. Now it's 1-in-8. Half of those CDs may well be used to make legitimate music backups -- like MP3 copies by legitimate users who want to re-order songs for their preference or time- or device-shift their listening.

Of course I'm being facetious, but I'll bet the actual music piracy rate for blank CDs (disregarding large-scale Asian criminal operations) is a lot closer to 1-in-16 than 1-to-1. That's a far lower cost ratio than the average US citizen pays in taxes, and it's certainly less than the average Euro pays in taxes.

Everyone I know who's over 30 now burns several CDs a week that have nothing to do with music -- CDs have become the new floppy disk. Equating the presence of CD burners with the rate of music piracy is just one more indication of the paranoid schizophrenia afflicting the music industry -- they've convinced themselves theirs is the only business in the world and that everything must be related to music.

Do you think, for even a minute, they might consider music sales are shrinking because the youth population is getting smaller? In every developed country the primary market for music -- youth -- is shrinking. And it is going to get worse.

The music industry is on the Green Mile -- dead man walking. And it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people. I can't wait.

Music industry hurt by piracy.
[...] Pirate's feast
The greatest threat to the music business in Germany came not from the Internet but from copies of legal CDs, he said. Last year German consumers bought 182 million blank CDs, more than the 177 million CDs with pre-recorded music.
"I think the German market has the highest penetration of CD burners," he said.[...]
USA Today Aug 17 2002 1:47AM ET [Moreover - IP and patents news]