[LINK] Music industry backs down on piracy

[Birch, Jim]

Anthony Hornby wrote:

>I think the problem stems from "Limited" not being the case any more
;-) 

>> The Congress shall have Power [. . .] To promote the Progress of 
>> Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and

>> Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and
>> Discoveries.

There's an interesting parallel with the 2nd amendment declaration "A
well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
It has been argued that the concept of a militia securing the state
belongs in a radically different time before police forces, enormous
standing armies and the modern military technology and methods.  The US
supreme court didn't agree.  On the other hand, Clinton signed into law
a bill banning the purchase of assault weapons, which are just the type
of weapons that you might think a militia would find handy.  (That law
had a 10 year sunset clause and wasn't renewed in 2004.  The law did
reduce the ownership of assault weapons slightly and may have resulted
in a marginal decrease in the incidence of assault weapon crime over the
10 year period.)  Concealable weapons are legal in most US states but
are probably not the weapon of choice for restoring democratic rule.
None of this makes a lot of sense to me...

I read somewhere that an economic analysis of copyright had suggested
that ~14 year exclusivity period would produce the optimal economic
benefit (sorry no ref).  However, I doubt the US corpocracy would settle
on a policy based on rational evaluation of general social benefit
rather than one based on rent collection in perpetuity.

- Jim       

     


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