Our patent system is a mess. It's a fount of expensive litigation that allows aging companies to linger around by bullying their more innovative competitors in court. Critics have suggested plenty of reasonable reforms, from eliminating software patents to clamping down on "trolls" who buy up patent portfolios only so they can file lawsuits. But do we need a more radical solution? Would we be possibly be better off without any patents at all?

CIAPC, the company that had The Pirate Bay blocked by ISPs in Finland, tracked an alleged file-sharer and demanded a cash settlement. However, the Internet account holder refused to pay which escalated things to an unprecedented level. In response, this week police raided the home of the 9-year-old suspect and confiscated her Winnie the Pooh laptop.

Was listening to Monday's show's discussion with regards to IP and alternative distribution, and profiting from you "intellectual" work.

This is actually a friend of mine, who, once homeless, now brings in 6 figures from his viral videos via YouTube.
Just shows how you can make money by distributing your content at now cost to the end user.

"CityNews reporter Peter Kim explains how the once-homeless 25 year-old became an internet sensation."
"St. Catharines man turns viral videos into 6 figure salary."

In a bill passed earlier today, the Government of New Zealand announced that software in the country will no longer be patentable. New Zealand’s largest IT representative body, the Institute of IT Professionals, expressed relief and said the decision removed a major barrier to software-led innovation.

A copyright battle between the AP and an online news-clipping service is reaching a climax, and the case could have significant implications for fair use. AP sued Meltwater Group last year, arguing the "reputation management" company had a "parasitic business model" that violated copyright. Meltwater is arguing that it is merely a search engine. Last week, the nation's largest newspapers lined up to tell the New York federal judge considering the case that they support the AP.

I have been reading up on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a legislation powerhouse responsible for laws such as the Voter ID legislation that we are dealing with here in PA. They claim to be proponents of the free market, federalism, and limited government, but this whole group is just really creeping me out. Seems to support of transition of power, rather than a lessening of regulation. And then I saw this article supporting intellectual property rights.

First it was music, now it's porn. Attorneys for the adult film industry are taking a page from the music industry and filing mass lawsuits to stop porn piracy. They say the illegal file sharing is cutting deeply into profits, and those who play without paying must be stopped. Problem is, Innocent people are getting swept up in the internet dragnet.