[LINK] Tim O'Reilly on SOPA/PIPA: Solving The Wrong Problem

[Roger Clarke]

At 14:00 +1100 18/1/12, David Boxall wrote:
>I'd wager that any rigorous scientific analysis would show no or
>negligible economic impact from so-called "Piracy". In fact, it would
>probably show that "Intellectual Property" has negative impacts. Of
>course, any attempt at such analysis would immediately attract
>manipulation to the point that nobody would recognise the question, let
>alone trust the answers.

Gillian Dempsey did her PhD thesis on the topic.

She never did get around to writing it down into less-academic prose 
plus diagrams, so I got her permission to do it for her.  (I was her 
lead supervisor).  See:

     The Economics of Innovation in the Information Industries
     http://www.rogerclarke.com/EC/EcInnInfInd.html (April 2004)

Here's the conclusion:

"Information economics shows that innovators can achieve returns even 
if they only have quite limited monopoly rights.

"The prevention of distribution of mere imitations without 
enhancement is justified; but that requires at most some minor 
refinements to longstanding copyright law, and none at all to 
longstanding patent law and practice.

"The substantial extensions to copyright law, and to patent law and 
practice, that have already been granted in response to the lobbying 
of large, entrenched corporations are seriously harmful to innovation 
in the information industries. The further extensions and powers that 
these corporations are seeking would compound the problem.

"It is essential that the current round of demands from powerful 
information industry corporations be rejected, and that the excessive 
extensions that they have already been granted be wound back".


-- 
Roger Clarke                                 http://www.rogerclarke.com/
			            
Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law               University of NSW
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University