By the time Apple’s Macintosh operating system finally falls into the public domain, there will be no machine that could possibly run it. The term of copyright for software is effectively unlimited. Lawrence Lessig Read Quote
This does not mean that every copyright must prove its value initially. That would be a far too cumbersome system of control. But it does mean that every system or category of copyright or patent should prove its worth. Lawrence Lessig Read Quote
Monopoly controls have been the exception in free societies; they have been the rule in closed societies. Lawrence Lessig Read Quote
All around us are the consequences of the most significant technological, and hence cultural, revolution in generations. Lawrence Lessig Read Quote
Notwithstanding the fact that the most innovative and progressive space we’ve seen – the Internet – has been the place where intellectual property has been least respected. You know, facts don’t get in the way of this ideology. Lawrence Lessig Read Quote
We have a massive system to regulate creativity. A massive system of lawyers regulating creativity as copyright law has expanded in unrecognizable forms, going from a regulation of publishing to a regulation of copying. Lawrence Lessig Read Quote
Now that copyrights can be just about a century long, the inability to know what is protected and what is not protected becomes a huge and obvious burden on the creative process. Lawrence Lessig Read Quote
Before the monopoly should be permitted, there must be reason to believe it will do some good – for society, and not just for monopoly holders. Lawrence Lessig Read Quote
If the Internet teaches us anything, it is that great value comes from leaving core resources in a commons, where they’re free for people to build upon as they see fit. Lawrence Lessig Read Quote