Saturday, January 21, 2012
Innovation
In busting MegaUpload, the government has finally started to protect the integrity of copyright for small artists as well as Disney. Thus demonstrating that the problem really didn't require new laws like SOPA/PIPA; it just required enforcement of existing laws.
ABOUT FUCKING TIME.
MegaUpload was a major source of piracy in the areas of digital art where I (half-heartedly) work, and its absence will improve things considerably.
Most of the complaints about this bust are unbelievably stupid, in two separate ways.
(1) On graphics forums, customers of digital art are automatically screaming about the bust, without realizing that their hobby will be improved by the bust. A few sellers of digital art are trying to make the correct counterargument without much success. The customers have been trained to hate giant predatory corporations, which is a good impulse. But they can't allow themselves to see that MegaUpload is just another giant predatory corporation, one that directly harms their own interests. They just know reflexively which team to cheer for. MegaUpload is cool! Its boss is named Kim Dotcom! Therefore it can't be predatory or evil or rich. Cool things are not predatory or evil or rich even when they are.
(2) More insidiously, the high-level spokesmen of the Everything For Free movement are complaining that the bust "ruins innovation", and that "innovation" depends on absolute freedom to copy anything you want. Dangerously wrong. Suicidally wrong.
Innovation requires protection of property, not "freedom to steal".
If you want farmers to make more food, the farmers need to own their produce, with freedom to sell or keep it. When government can easily snatch the produce or speculators can easily devalue it, the farmers will stop farming and find something else to do.
If you want artists and inventors to make more art and ideas, the artists need to own their produce, with freedom to sell or keep it. When government can easily snatch the produce or MegaUpload can easily devalue it, the artists will stop working and find something else to do. ¶ 5:31 AM
ABOUT FUCKING TIME.
MegaUpload was a major source of piracy in the areas of digital art where I (half-heartedly) work, and its absence will improve things considerably.
Most of the complaints about this bust are unbelievably stupid, in two separate ways.
(1) On graphics forums, customers of digital art are automatically screaming about the bust, without realizing that their hobby will be improved by the bust. A few sellers of digital art are trying to make the correct counterargument without much success. The customers have been trained to hate giant predatory corporations, which is a good impulse. But they can't allow themselves to see that MegaUpload is just another giant predatory corporation, one that directly harms their own interests. They just know reflexively which team to cheer for. MegaUpload is cool! Its boss is named Kim Dotcom! Therefore it can't be predatory or evil or rich. Cool things are not predatory or evil or rich even when they are.
(2) More insidiously, the high-level spokesmen of the Everything For Free movement are complaining that the bust "ruins innovation", and that "innovation" depends on absolute freedom to copy anything you want. Dangerously wrong. Suicidally wrong.
Innovation requires protection of property, not "freedom to steal".
If you want farmers to make more food, the farmers need to own their produce, with freedom to sell or keep it. When government can easily snatch the produce or speculators can easily devalue it, the farmers will stop farming and find something else to do.
If you want artists and inventors to make more art and ideas, the artists need to own their produce, with freedom to sell or keep it. When government can easily snatch the produce or MegaUpload can easily devalue it, the artists will stop working and find something else to do. ¶ 5:31 AM
