Sour Grapes
Of course we're Fair and Balanced!

2004-10-22

Business Week: Are The Copyright Wars Chilling Innovation?



Business Week is not exactly known for being radical. But in this commentary, they express the same concern I have about the current state of copyright law in the U.S. [via Michael Geist's Internet Law News]:




Today's turmoil over copyrights contains a disturbing new twist, however. Digital technology -- from MP3 players to software that makes it easy to build Web pages -- shatters almost all of the technical barriers to duplicating and sharing copyrighted works. That has caused unparalleled anxiety among copyright holders. As a result, music and movie companies have adopted a strategy of targeting digital technology itself as well as those who design it and those who use it.



In time this could threaten the delicate balance between copy protection and technical innovation. The intent of copyright law in the U.S. is to promote learning and innovation while giving artists, musicians, and writers a limited monopoly on their work. The goal isn't to assure that artists or intellectuals make oodles of cash.




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