Re: the best justice money can buy --Lessig (fwd)

[Jim Choate <ravage@ssz.com>]

Forwarded message:

> Subject: Re: the best justice money can buy --Lessig (fwd)
> From: dlv@bwalk.dm.com (Dr.Dimitri Vulis KOTM)
> Date: Thu, 05 Feb 98 16:26:45 EST

> > > Of course there's a free-market remedy for Microsoft; eliminate copyright. 
> > > anyone can copy Microsoft software for free, it would be forced to compete
> > > on real benefits rather than installed base.
> > 
> > If there were no copyright nobody would have any reason to market software
> > or much else for that matter. I would predict that much of the technology
> > and infrastructure we have now wouldn't exist. It would also stiffle
> > creativity and new methodologies because there would be no profit in it to
> > recoup development costs. Those who would survive in such a market would be
> > the 800-lb gorillas because only they would have the resources to squash the
> > smaller companies.
> 
> Software development seems to be thriving in countries that aren't very keen
> on enforcing copyright laws - do you care to explain why?

Oh yeah...

Software development is a long way from selling software, not the same
animal at all.

I mean when I go down to the dozen computer stores within a mile or so of my
house I am truly deluged by software from countries outside of the US and
Canada. I mean we have all heard of the Indian and Bulgarian software
billionares haven't we? And all those folks in Turkey just rolling in
cash...

Further, who do the majority of these folks who actualy make a reasonable
living work for either directly or under contract? Large US and Eurpean
countries thats who.

That's why those folks can make a living developing (not selling) software.

> > Free markets monopolize.

> Hmm... There's no copyright on perfumes.  There are market leaders in perfumes,
> but no monopoly; hardly even an olygopoly.

I can tell how often you buy perfume, the ones I buy for my girlfriend
certainly have a little 'c' on them... And as to the number of companies
that are actualy developing perfume versus reselling it under their own
house brands...there might be a couple dozen succesful (say stay in business
more than 5 years) in the whole world and I would go so far as to hypothesize
that if one were motivated to plot the number of companies per year over the
last say 50 years you would see the number go *down*.



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