Legislators, spurred by fear and prodded by Industry Lobbyists, are restricting innovation and the culture that spawns it. Lessig documents this devils' bargain in the second third of his book Free Culture. This section documents the increasingly draconian interpretations of intellectual property law. A few posts earlier I shared my thoughts as I read Free Culture. Lawrence Lessig's grasp of the facts and gift for rhetoric remains undeniable. One facet of this thesis leapt out at me.
The issue of monopoly and media concentration is crucial to the United States. Numerous parallels in history exist to demonstrate the dangers to liberty of allowing a small group to be gatekeepers of information. Lessig's description of Congers provides us with cautionary tale. A few words removed however creates an eerie sense of immediacy to remind us how vigilant we must be.
they were increasingly seen as monopolists of the worst kind tools of the crown's repression selling liberty of England to guarantee themselves a monopoly profit…. Many believed the power the booksellers exercised over the spread of knowledge was harming that spread, just at the time the
Enlightenment
was teaching the importance of knowledge and education spread generally. The idea that knowledge should be free was a hallmark of the time and these powerful commercial interests were interfering with that idea.
The historical effects of monopoly is still readily apparent. Its impressions can be found in innumerable places including but not limited to the American Constitution. The most superficial research shows Thomas Jefferson and James Madison greatest concern was not whether Monopolies were good, rather the letters show the two founding fathers discussing whether any monopoly even a temporary one was advisable.
Lessig, Lawrence. Free Culture. New York: Penguin Books, 2004.
