Wed, 27 Feb 2008

If IP Is Property, Where Is the Property Tax?

An interesting idea, even if the author gets a bit confused on the difference between patents and copyrights. I just wonder if it wouldn't lead to "copyright squatting" (as in domain squatting) or possibly copyright trolls.

Still, an interesting thought.

With a proper tax system, publishers like the L.A. Times or scientific journals may maintain a copyright for only a year or so before letting the content revert to public domain and letting Google and everyone else utilize the material for its small, but socially significant, remaining value. The human enterprise could continue to build on itself in these creative, sustainable and non-resource-consuming ways, with copyrights only applying to a small subset of this enterprise.

(link) [LA Times]

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