With progress in almost anything, there are usually downsides. Manufacturing and power generation produce pollution; automobiles produce pollution and accidents; smart phones produce selfies. In some cases, it is only common sense (at least to many of us) to try to mitigate the negative results of an otherwise good thing through legal regimes because the owners of industry don’t have a ...
I’ve said it several times, but it is still astonishing to watch Americans use social media to air their fears about agencies like the NSA while ignoring the fact that it’s the social media company itself watching us more intimately than any government agency ever will. In a recent editorial for Newsweek, Senator Whitehouse (D-RI) calls attention to the fact ...
“What would the world be without America? It would be a dull and dinky planet indeed.” – Elizabeth Wurtzel – In honor of the 225th Anniversary of the first copyright act of the United States (May 31, 1790), I’d like to recommend a little book that neatly offers both a primer and a rationale for intellectual property in the United States. Creatocracy: ...
Quick, name a place where you can be in business without providing basic information like your name and address. Let’s see. Criminal organizations, corrupt nations, and the Internet. In a refreshing nod at sanity, the Florida legislature has passed a bill called the “True Origins of Digital Goods Act,” which now awaits signature by Governor Scott. Basically, if a site ...
This week, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Pandora, upholding a ruling by Judge Denise Cote in affirming the 1.85 percent of revenue cost set by the rate court as “reasonable.” Maybe, but any way you slice it, songwriters and composers are still getting hosed by streaming services You’ve probably seen some of the headlines or ...
