Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Oops, you missed some things!

Author:Seth Gordon
Posted:9/1/2000; 8:24:03 AM
Topic:The Lie of "IP"
Msg #:20678 (In response to 20676)
Prev/Next:20677 / 20679

A computer program, or a music file, or any other bitstream is just a (really big) number. But in order to enforce this artificial scarcity, the IP laws say that I cannot tell anyone else this number. The free flow of information is blocked!

The true benefits to society will arise when all restrictions on the free flow of information are removed.

If the free flow of numbers is good for society, would you mind helping society out by posting your credit-card numbers (and expiration dates), your bank-account numbers, and your Social Security number?

Information is easy to copy, but information is often connected to things that are not so easy to copy (such as the labor involved with producing a CD). In such a case, the information inherits some of the value of the item that it's connected to.

(I'm rephrasing an argument that Eric S. Raymond makes here.)

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