Groklaw has a good summary of the state of intellectual property law, The White House Asks: What's Blocking Innovation in America? - My Answer: IP Laws. It's best feature is a link to video of James Boyle's brilliant talk, Four Ways to Ruin a Technological Revolution. Boyle references Thomas Jefferson's writing on the topic: a letter to Isaac McPherson (here, here and here).
The invalidation of Myriad Genetics' BRCA gene patents last year gives some cause for hope. That decision is in appeal now. I hope the powers that be don't fail to appreciate the power of collaborative innovation.
I still mean to get around to reading Lawrence Lessig's The Future of Ideas, the fate of the commons in a connected world.
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