Digital rights and wrongs, its an easy subject until you look into the fine print..
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/fRQfHmO9HZppP6/Dont-Let-Intellectual-Property-Twist-Your-Ethos.xhtmWhat is really in the U.S. Constitution? It doesn't mention "intellectual property," and it says nothing at all about most of the laws that term covers. Only two of them -- copyright law and patent law -- are treated there.
What does the Constitution say about them?
What the Constitution says is that copyright law and patent law are optional. They need not exist. It says that if they do exist, their purpose is to provide a public benefit -- to promote progress by providing artificial incentives.
They are not rights that their holders are entitled to; they are artificial privileges that we might, or might not, want to hand out to encourage people to do what we find useful.
It's a wise policy. Too bad Congress -- which has to carry it out on our behalf -- takes its orders from Hollywood and Microsoft instead of from us.
I urge you all to read Richards full article at the address above.
