on intellectual property

[This post has been clogging up my "drafts" folder for months...I've been collecting web bits and pieces that I saw as informing the debate over intellectual property with the idea I would soon sort through them all and write some sort of grand thesis on the topic.  But I haven't.  And it's weighing on me.  For now, I'll just share the link collection as it stands and we'll see what happens next.  In brief, I will say that I think that IP (and piracy, copyright, DRM, etc) will be one of the most important economic issues of the next 50 years, and the ramifications of the relevant law on society will be broad and deep.]

(started 12/10/10)
Man, oh man, this is a biggie.  And I know from go that at least one of my readers has a seriously different opinion, but IP, copyright, patents, "fair use", "piracy" - these things are collectively one of the biggest issues percolating in the world community right now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/sports/10trademark.html
http://gizmodo.com/5711403/apple-is-patenting-phone+to+phone-app-sharing
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/01/11/jeff-koons-claims-to.html
http://gizmodo.com/5731443/microsoft-says-app-store-trademark-is-generic
http://gizmodo.com/5732121/drunken-scientists-pour-alcohol-on-superconductors-and-make-an-incredible-discovery
http://www.slate.com/id/2281530/pagenum/all/
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/01/another-copyright-tr.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/01/26/thierry-guetta-aka-m.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/06/sarah-palin-circle-r.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/06/database-to-foil-yog.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/09/is-it-legal-to-print.html
http://www.theawl.com/2011/02/how-csiny-most-definitely-didnt-steal-my-story
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/25/tolkien-estate-censo.html
http://www.dailytech.com/Apple+Slams+Amazon+With+Lawsuit+Claiming+Its+Android+Appstore+Infringes/article21188.htm
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/03/23/lse-economists-file-1.html
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/04/gridlock-at-wkrp-in-cincinnati.html
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/04/06/what-is-legitimate-n.html