Usually when I hear people talk about intellectual property laws, they just rant about how restrictive copyright can be and how we should have a more free and open society. Occasionally I hear (or give my own) rant about how copyright should be respected in order to protect producers (whether they be writers, programmers, or whatever). The truth is, however, that intellectual property law is not black and white. Yes it is important to protect consumers, but having a free and open society has its merits as well. Sometimes big companies fuss over illegal file sharing (especially music), but really the big companies benefit from free word-of-mouth advertising. I do not know exactly what changes should be made to copyright law, but I for one will continue to obey the law and begin to be more open to some of the potential reforms.
This article by Osron Scott Card has some good insights and interesting ideas about how to change the laws in a way that is win-win for everyone.
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