Best synopsis of the actual problem that I've seen so far in print.

[blacklid]

The longer term solution would be to develop an appropriate social contract: conducting ourselves online under the same civilized behavioral norms that keep us from, say, stealing stuff from one another's homes even though we could probably get away with it. It's not really that hard, and it's worth figuring out before the privilege of free

Comments

[feliciakw]

Indeed. The problem being that a lot of people have different concepts of "sharing" vs. "stealing."

Two opinion pieces to compare and contrast the two sides. The comments that follow each are also interesting.

Representing the so-called Free Culture

Representing the economic effect on the struggling artists

Do with this as you will.

Regardless, having the ISPs play internet spy is just asking for trouble from all sorts of angles.

[tahirire]

Only by strengthening people's ability...

Whoops. Lost me.