Re: A Chance Encounter with Brad Templeton, of ClariNet

[mkj@october.ducktown.org]

Adam Shostack wrote:

>   There is an entire parasitic
> class that does nothing useful, but makes money from the idea of
> copyright.  (Most entertainment industries operate like this.  The
> industry puts up seed money in exchange for the profits that an artist
> generates.)  Books, music, film to a lesser extent are all in the path
> of a digital revolution which eliminates the need for a middleman.  If
> I can download music to DAT, I don't need Sony records.  Neither does
> Peter Gabriel, Robert Fripp or any other musician.

The above is a key insight into what I see as one of the biggest
issues of the next couple of decades, certainly one of the biggest
issues affecting the networks.  A battle is looming between public
freedoms on the nets, and powerful copyright-based economic interests.
Such a battle is very apt to turn the networks into a minefield of
impossible laws, ubiquitous surveillance and unending litigation.

Note that the Clinton/Gore administration, and its Information
Infrastructure Task Force (IITF), have already taken the (in my
opinion extreme and unrealistic) position that intellectual property
laws must be not merely preserved but *strengthened* and *expanded* in
the context of the National Information Infrastructure.  (See the
report of the IITF's Intellectual Property Working Group, as well as
other relevant reports available at iitf.doc.gov.)  And I see no
reason to hope that Congress will take a different approach.

Such a battle could have far-reaching implications.  Taken to its
logical conclusions, a "War on Piracy" could make the "War on Drugs"
look benign (and inexpensive) by comparison.  Averting this disaster
may be one of the most important challenges facing the cypherpunks.

Just my two cents' worth.

					---  mkj