By now, even people who don’t follow copyright and crypto stories may have read somewhere that a crypto group called Spice DAO purchased a rare copy of Frank Herbert’s Dune for €2.66 million and then announced its intent to make the work publicly available, produce an animated series, and promote derivative works. The group also floated the notion of minting ...

“The more desperate one is to get attention, rather than to accurately communicate what one believes a problem is, the more one ventures into the realm of sensationalist propaganda.” That observation was not written about anyone promoting the Stop the Steal narrative that led to the insurrection on January 6, 2020. No, that’s Chris Ruen, in his book Freeloading (2012), ...

IA has made great progress on its mission to foster innovation, promote economic growth, and empower people through a free and open internet. As this chapter closes, member companies remain committed to advancing public policy in support of this mission and will continue to work with stakeholders in other capacities. – Board of Directors Statement on IA’s Future – Thus spake ...

As 2021 winds down, and this blog approaches the mid-point of its tenth year, I ask the following question: Can certain folks stop trying to “fix copyright” in deference to the digital age now that the internet experiment has failed? For over twenty years, the principal argument underlying the “copyright is broken” narrative has been that the legal framework limits ...

I asked the question in 2014:  are we confused by the “Buy” button when we purchase digital media? And the issue is raised again in the class action suit against Apple earlier this year, which alleges that consumers are unsure enough about what it means to “buy” digital goods that online retailers should be held responsible for misleading us. The ...

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