When I have more time (ha!), I’ll dig deeper into this policy analysis of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that appears on the Web site of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank. I know most of you don’t read Scenestars for policy analysis, but this should be of interest to anyone who checks out digital media.
The executive summary provides the gist: That Congress screwed up when it passed the DMCA in 1998. The courts were busy establishing a framework for intellectual property protection amid technological change, but then the legislative branch — led by Big Media lackey and recording artist-in-his-own-right Sen. Orrin Hatch — stepped in with an unwieldy, anti-consumer, anti-competition statute.
Realizing that Hatch was the sponsor of DMCA reminded me of when the senior Utah senator suggested destroying the computers of those who download illegally. Then it turned out he was using unlicensed JavaScript software on his official Web site. The man is a maroon.
Hat tip to InstaPundit, an intellectual property law specialist himself.
The executive summary provides the gist: That Congress screwed up when it passed the DMCA in 1998. The courts were busy establishing a framework for intellectual property protection amid technological change, but then the legislative branch — led by Big Media lackey and recording artist-in-his-own-right Sen. Orrin Hatch — stepped in with an unwieldy, anti-consumer, anti-competition statute.
Realizing that Hatch was the sponsor of DMCA reminded me of when the senior Utah senator suggested destroying the computers of those who download illegally. Then it turned out he was using unlicensed JavaScript software on his official Web site. The man is a maroon.
Hat tip to InstaPundit, an intellectual property law specialist himself.
