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[isthisthingon]

http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15868004

Great article at the Economist, an arguably pro-business rag.

[perkiset]

Well written and pointed. The comments seem to be universally of the same mood.

One comment I found particularly interesting was a guy speaking to the discussion of fair use and the Mickey Mouse law. The point was that the first films of Mickey Mouse should, by now, be free of copyright, but the character himself, so log as it is still being viably used should still be protectable. EG., you can show Steamboat Willy before a porn flick, but you can't put Mickey Mouse in a porn flick.

I do agree that the infinity minus one sort of copyright law we have is absurd and needs to go back to its essence ... Frankly like so many laws today that have become complicated blisters of ex-protective good stuff and are now simply tools for litigators to make money. The thought of eliminating it all is bad, but the current trajectory is potentially much worse. Fortunately, i don't think its going to stand forever ... It feels like the tide is turning ... Or at least the discussion is open enough to start making some difference.

[isthisthingon]

>It feels like the tide is turning

I think so too