Patent, Copyright, Internet, Et Alia

Joe Kiani, CEO of Masimo, wrote an interesting op-ed in Forbes yesterday on the potential effects of the Patent Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1145). He refers to the bill as “one of the worst assaults on intellectual property protection in the 218-year history of our patent system.” Points I found interesting:
[T]his bill […]

The Library of Congress has launched a pilot program with photo-sharing site Flickr to enable people to enhance the metadata on visual materials in its collection.
According to a blog posting by Matt Raymond, director of communications, the program is starting modestly — with 3,000 photographs that are out of copyright from two of the Library’s […]

Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the US Constitution, often referred to as the Intellectual Property Clause, states: “[Congress shall have the power] To promote the Progress of Science [knowledge] and useful Arts [technology], by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.” Patent and […]

Meritocracy or Innovation Desert?
What would happen if incentives to create under copyright, including the DMCA, were decreased? I know, I know. The concept brings gasps. Despite the parade of horrors often offered, the world would get along just fine.
A Utilitarian Model
Intellectual property in the US is decidedly utilitarian as a result of the IP […]