It is simple for this concept to be transferred to
copyright law. If you have the ability to take something for
free without having to give any thought to the consequences
that the originating party will observe to their profit line
then the majority of people and every single company in the
world will do so. Going against that is going up against the
free market.
Just my 2 cents:
I don't think it has much to do with free market (and I fail to see where true free
markets are operating by the way) but a more fundamental reason: that's how nature
works to evolve. Copying is just one way, and it used to be the main way of reproducing in
the past. With the advent of sexual reprod. things got a bit more fancy and evolution took
a new turn. I venture that copying computer bits that provide meaningful information is
just another instantiation of the same old process. Later on, that copying process may
well evolve to a form equivalent to the sexual reprod. and more diversity will emerge from
the process.
I don't really know what to think of theories like Susan Blackmore's (memes and
temes) but I feel there is something to it in the way we exchange data and spread
"new" information.
The Disney vs Stravinsky bit made me laugh: so it is American and capitalist to explicitly
exploit regulation loopholes in order to steal the work of other people ? My! I would
have never guessed ... :lol:
Cheers!
J.