On the intellectual property front, relevant industry sources (Infinite Loop, Blogging Stocks) have been full of the news that Scandinavian countries might challenge iTunes' monopoly over its library of songs, that is to say, to make the tens of millions of songs that iTunes effectively public domain.
I can be convinced that current intellectual property regimes are too restrictive, perhaps even too restrictive by far. One issue that hasn't been adequately addressed by the people I've read who want to so radically renovate intellectual property is the question of what happens to the people who create. What incentives will creative individuals have to create new works if they're likely not to receive adequate recognition and payment for their creative endeavours? If intellectual property regimes are to be renovated, anywhere, the people responsible will have to find some way of bypassing the putatibve middleman monopolist. The mechanics of this, I leave to others.
Thoughts?
I can be convinced that current intellectual property regimes are too restrictive, perhaps even too restrictive by far. One issue that hasn't been adequately addressed by the people I've read who want to so radically renovate intellectual property is the question of what happens to the people who create. What incentives will creative individuals have to create new works if they're likely not to receive adequate recognition and payment for their creative endeavours? If intellectual property regimes are to be renovated, anywhere, the people responsible will have to find some way of bypassing the putatibve middleman monopolist. The mechanics of this, I leave to others.
Thoughts?