Name: Information Doesn’t Want to Be Free
Rating: 3.5 (20 reviews)
Author: Cory Doctorow

What’s in it for me? Learn why copyright laws need to change.

The internet, though relatively young, has already completely changed the way we communicate, socialize and learn about the world. It has also opened up entirely new modes of content consumption, be that content music, movies or books. We now live in the world of file-sharing, where paying for music, movies or software might seem outdated, because, usually, it’s possible to download it for free.

When attacked, the proponents of file-sharing protest that information wants to be free. But does it, really?

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why copyright laws need to change;
why locking your content up is not the way to go; and
how a Pennsylvania school spied on their students.

Despite the internet, people still want to pay for quality content.

People often say that the rise of the internet precipitated the downfall of record labels and copyright law. Huge record labels no longer have much say in who emerges as the next big musical star. Stars now rise and fall online, and the internet has its own criteria. It’s in this environment that no-name indie bands like the Arctic Monkeys can achieve monumental success.

But how does this work?

Well, the internet has made fundamental changes to how consumers access creative content. If you want to listen to a song or look at a painting, for instance, you no longer need to pay for an album or a museum ticket; you just need to go online. As a result, people are growing accustomed to free access. We stream movies; we listen to music on YouTube; we search for images.

But, in such an environment, artists must be unable to earn money from their content, right?

Actually, not really. If given the opportunity, people still want to pay for quality content. In fact, since the advent of art, there have always been people willing to pay for it. For instance, long ago, patrons greatly influenced the creative process of artists like Michelangelo. More recently, this power was wielded by major labels like EMI, who paid bands like The Beatles for their music. And today, thanks to the internet, lovers of art can directly pay those making it.

So, the internet is actually advantageous for artists.

When people are given free creative content, like music on YouTube, a lot of them will check it out, appreciate it and move on without spending a dime. But there will always be a few who want to support and appreciate the artist by paying, especially if paying the artist is easy. If all it takes is typing a song name into the iTunes Store, some consumers will always pay their fair share instead of illegally downloading a lower-quality file.

Digital locks are not the way to protect your content.

So, the internet has opened up access to content. Naturally this raises copyright concerns for creators and consumers alike. But how can a content creator make a profit and prevent the pirating and free distribution of their work?

Well, digital locks are one possibility.

Digital locks enable hackers to install secret spyware and viruses on your computer.

In the previous blink, we saw just how ineffective digital locks can be. But there’s more: they can also expose you to hackers and viruses. That’s because digital locks enable companies to install hidden software on your computer.

For instance, since computers at this point are designed to run essentially any program, the producers of digital-content locks have to prevent computers from running certain programs, like those capable of copying a CD. Accomplishing this requires the secret installation of what’s called a rootkit, which is essentially a bunch of software, often malicious, that taps into otherwise inaccessible parts of your system.

A war is mounting between censorship and the free internet.

So, what’s the common ground shared by resistance to copyright laws, digital locks and censorship? They all point to one simple truth: people want to be free and want the internet to be as free as they are. But naturally, that won’t happen without a fight.

In fact, over the last few years, the battle between censorship and the free internet has intensified. For instance, digital locks have been broken by internet “pirates,” censorship is being protested across the globe, hackers are waging escalating cyber wars against governments and state secrets are being exposed on pages like WikiLeaks. No matter which side you’re on, the free internet is a controversial topic.

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