Intellectual Property and Individual Rights: Where do we go from here?

[Jaecyn42]

Good morning. I'm in a bit of a contemplative mood, so I thought I'd start a discussion.

Here's what I've been thinking:

With each new iteration of technological innovation, the power of the individual increases, exponentially. This much is demonstrably true and common knowledge to many. Naturally, with these technological increases in individual power, so to does the potential for IP theft and piracy increase. While once we were dubbing songs off the radio and movies off of HBO; today, it is possible to pirate IP at far greater speeds, in far greater quantities and with far greater fidelity.

Naturally, producers of IP (MPAA & RIAA) have attempted to keep abreast of these new innovations by developing technology to protect their IP. These protections, in the form of Digital Rights Management, have, at times, conflicted with legitimate use of legally licensed IP.

In response, those who would pirate develop new ways of circumventing DRM and other IP protection schemes. The result is a perpetual Arms War of new IP Protection and Piracy technologies.

Now, fast forward about 10-20 years. Within this period, it is entirely plausible that we may see the advent of Direct Neural Interfacing and "Mind-Uploading" technology. To hazard a crude description, imagine the possibility of having a few CCs of Nanites injected into your brain which then bond with your neurons, allowing for the synchronization of data from a computer directly to your mind, and vice versa.

Sounds kinda cool, right? The only problem is this technological innovation would create an existential conflict between Intellectual Property Rights, as we understand them today, and the Rights of the Individual to their own memories. If the individual has the ability to faithfully preserve any memory in their mind, it is possible for them to "pirate" an entire film or musical album from seeing/hearing it once.

So what happens when we get to this juncture? Obviously, something will have to give. Will IP holders have the right to somehow erase or obstruct the individuals access to their own memories? Will the individual's right to their own memories force an epochal shift in our understanding of Intellectual Property rights?

How do you think it will play out?





Also: INB4 "Wall-o-text"/"TL;DR"

[Penguin Guy]

Direct Neural Interfacing or not, it's impossible to protect intellectual property. IMO, I don't think we'll ever have anti-piracy chips in our brains.

[Åtta]

The market will eventually have to adapt to the consumers. Not the other way around; even if some would want it that way. We are already seeing the beginning of this "epochal shift in our understanding of Intellectual Property rights". Things have changed, and regardless of whether or not some people think it's "morally wrong", they aren't going back to the way they were.

[tjwoosta]

Intellectual property is one of the many false paradigms that infect todays society. Information is one of the many things thats intended not to be selfishly withheld for personal gain, but to be freely and openly distributed for the benefit of all. I believe some day we will advance as a society to the point where this is realized.

[donkyhotay]

Intellectual property is one of the many false paradigms that infect todays society. Information is one of the many things thats intended not to be selfishly withheld for personal gain, but to be freely and openly distributed for the benefit of all.

True


I believe some day we will advance as a society to the point where this is realized.

Eventually yes, but how long will this take? I foresee two possibilities. Either there is a massive change in the way people view information/computers/technology and everything becomes open creating a wealth of information that propels us to new heights as a species/civilization. Or things lock down to the point that nothing can be shared without permission from some corporation and we stagnate for a few hundred years so that 1000 years from now people look back on this time as the start of "the second dark age". I figure we'll probably know for certain how things will fall out within the next 50 years or so.

[chiliman]

i have a story for when DRM affected my use of software I legally purchased.

When i downloaded Roller coaster Tycoon 3 platinum from atari. They used this third party service called digital river to manage the purchase and activation of the product. Well my game wouldn't stay activated and eventually it wouldn't let me activate it at all.

So e-mail Atari they tell me that they can only authorize re downloading the game and i have to contact Digital river for activation. So I email Digital river they tell me they can only help me with purchasing the game and i have to email atari for activation. WTF!!! So eventually i find a 1-800 number and call digital river after about a week of exchanging e-mails with a bunch of reps. And they basically tell me the same BS we can only help you purchase and not activate.

So what am i supposed to do, go out and pay another 30 bucks for the game, 'forget' that. Lets just say that i found my own "Work around". And do yourself a favor and never purchase and download software on line from atari or digital river. This was the first and last time i ever purchase software via internet. I understand companies what to protect their software, but when it starts to cross the line and prevent the fair use of the product you are legally entitled too is wrong!

There is a better way and i think Open Souce software is the torch lighting the path.

[Groucho Marxist]

In regards to the United States, the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) made it so the act of breaking encryption rather than the act of duplication would be against the law. I find this law insidious because the DRM lobbyists knew that their security was vulnerable. The boasting and bravado regarding the then-new DVD format was backed up by marketing claims which were invalidated less than a year after the release of DVDs.

Furthermore, lobbyists in the US have successfully extended the length of ownership, which includes ownership of IP, past the original length of time. Why? Because the Disney Corporation was in danger of losing its copyrights over virtually all of their characters. At some point in time, however, they will have to give up their ownership and allow them to be embraced by the public.

Recently, I have argued with a friend of mine that the expiration of copyrights on famous works will not spell the downfall of quality merchandise. As an example, we used the original NES system in light of 80's nostalgia that seems to be sweeping pop-culture.

Imagine if Nintendo re-released the NES for nostalgia reasons after their copyright had expired; now, imagine you had to pay $200 for this console in the distant future. Your other option would be to purchase bootleg or DIY Nintendo mods for far less than this price. As a consumer, the best choice of action would still be to purchase from a reputable company because you are not only buying the hardware, but the warranty and support as well. If you purchase a bootleg and something goes wrong, you're out x dollars with no support from the sometimes shady dealer you got it from.

[Dr. C]

i have a story for when DRM affected my use of software I legally purchased.

When i downloaded Roller coaster Tycoon 3 platinum from atari. They used this third party service called digital river to manage the purchase and activation of the product. Well my game wouldn't stay activated and eventually it wouldn't let me activate it at all.

So e-mail Atari they tell me that they can only authorize re downloading the game and i have to contact Digital river for activation. So I email Digital river they tell me they can only help me with purchasing the game and i have to email atari for activation. WTF!!! So eventually i find a 1-800 number and call digital river after about a week of exchanging e-mails with a bunch of reps. And they basically tell me the same BS we can only help you purchase and not activate.

So what am i supposed to do, go out and pay another 30 bucks for the game, 'forget' that. Lets just say that i found my own "Work around". And do yourself a favor and never purchase and download software on line from atari or digital river. This was the first and last time i ever purchase software via internet. I understand companies what to protect their software, but when it starts to cross the line and prevent the fair use of the product you are legally entitled too is wrong!

There is a better way and i think Open Souce software is the torch lighting the path.

You could sue whoever took your money in small claims court.