Lawrence Lessig has some worthwhile insights into the way information technology is changing culture and the information business. His concepts of "Read Only" (RO) and Read/Write (RW) models for information distribution are handy. He rightly points out the often heavy-handed enforcement of copyright laws carried out by over-zealous companies (and their lawyers), while at the same time acknowledging that some traditional copyright enforcement is still necessary.

Sadly, Lessig is either ignorant of, or indifferent to, the crucial differences between remixing existing creative works, and creating something brand new. He downplays the distinction by (correctly) observing that all creative work is derivative in some sense. Indeed, no artist exists in a cultural vacuum. But grabbing a series of music clips (for example) and splicing them together on a computer, no matter how artfully, is no substitute for the years of discipline and practice necessary to become a truly accomplished musician.

Lessig seems almost obsessed with making it OK for his kids to upload and download music clips without a sense of guilt, or fear of legal action. Over and over, we see his sympathies basically lie with media consumers. He devotes only a couple of pages to a single conversation with a professional musician. I think if he had talked with more people who earn their living writing music (from scratch) and/or performing it (on actual instruments) they would have given him an "ear-full." I'm one, and I would have.

The most hilarious irony (to put it kindly) in this book is the contrast between Lessig's glowing advocacy for the RW culture, and the copyright notice at the front of the book. On page 226, regarding the defense of traditional copyright, Lessig says, " 'All Rights Reserved,' is the familiar refrain. 'Don't share' is the unfortunately familiar slogan."

But the copyright notice reads as follows:

"Copyright (c) Lawrence Lessig 2008
All rights reserved.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrightable materials. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated."

So, Lessig seems to be saying, "Let's all share, but don't touch MY stuff!" He might argue that his publisher insisted on this copyright notice, but what prevented him from simply putting the book out on the Internet, for free? Oh yeah, now I remember: He wanted to get paid for his work.

Post Script: Since writing the above, yesterday, I've learned that Lessig has made a free online version available at:

[...]

He made no mention (that I could find) in the hardcover edition of his intention to offer the book online. He apparently wasn't in a big rush to let people know they didn't have to buy it. But I'll give credit where it's due; he does seem somewhat willing to "walk his talk."

I still stand by my observations regarding the important difference between the collage art he's so enamored of, and the creation of things from scratch.

Read this book if you seek a conceptual structure and a well reasoned perspective on what's happening (or should be happening) around copyright law and the practical application of it in this digital age. Very well done. Having read this book its clear that improvements in copyright law could improve our world and advance our culture. I didn't start this book with such an understanding. However. Don't read this book if you're seeking economic arguments and business models for businesses centered on intellectual property.

More generally, I would advocate for a revised edition. Two reasons. First, as I read it, I wondered if we're really heading towards Lessig's vision and if there are more recent waypoints that illuminate progress towards (or away) from his vision. Second reason: Lessig appears to be a political person and the book at its core is a well done advocacy book capped by its last chapter. Fine. But he unfortunately links his advocacy in the final chapter to the rather temporal and dynamic geopolitical lessons of "failure" in Iraq ... and to our environmental(global warming) tipping point. His argument: media conglomerates cannot win the copyright/sharing war for the same reason we cannot win in Iraq. Ooops. With the benefit of time it would appear that Iraq has been won using the wise application of power. So it would follow that Warner Brothers (and the media giants will win too???? Global warming and the ecological tipping point suffer the same uncertainty problem. His analogies destroy his own argument. Time for a revision.

Net review however is the structure of Lessig's argument around his core knowledge is insightful and sound. But for the author I would advise more careful consideration when linking strong logical arguments to seemingly parallel, but in reality, distinctly different, certainly temporal, and profoundly unsettled political matters.

Read this book if you seek a conceptual structure and a well reasoned perspective on what's happening (or should be happening) around copyright law and the practical application of it in this digital age. Very well done. Having read this book its clear that improvements in copyright law could improve our world and advance our culture. I didn't start this book with such an understanding. However. Don't read this book if your seeking economic arguments and business models for businesses centered on intellectual property.

More generally, I would advocate for a revised edition. I've read this book a couple years after its publish date as summer vacation reading. As I read it, I wondered if we're really heading towards Lessig's vision and if there are more recent waypoints that illuminate progress for this journey. It would be interesting to understand his observations on what's changed in the last few years (this is my first reason for a revised version). Second reason: Lessig appears to be a political person and the book at its core is a well done advocacy book capped by its last chapter. He unfortunately links his advocacy in the final chapter to the rather temporal and dynamic geopolitical lessons of "failure" in Iraq ... and to our environmental(global warming) tipping point. ie. Media conglomerates cannot win the copyright/sharing war for the same reason we cannot win in Iraq. Alas, with the benefit of time it would appear that Iraq has been won using the wise application of power. Oops. So Warner Brothers (and the media giants) will win too? Global warming and the ecological tipping point suffer the same uncertainty problem (so this last chapter is therefore my second reason for a revised edition). Net review however is the structure of Lessig's argument around his core knowledge is insightful and sound. But for the author I would advise more careful consideration when linking strong logical arguments to seemingly parallel, but in reality, distinctly different, certainly temporal, and profoundly unsettled political matters.

Read this book if you seek a conceptual structure and a well reasoned perspective on what's happening (or should be happening) around copyright law and practical application of it in this digital age. Very well done. Having read this book its clear that improvements in copyright law could improve our world and advance our culture. I didn't start this book with such an understanding. However. Don't read this book if your seeking economic arguments and business models for businesses centered on intellectual property.

More generally, I would advocate for a revised edition. I've read this book a couple years after its publish date as summer vacation reading. As I read it, I wondered if we're really heading towards Lessig's vision and if there are waypoints that tell that story of this journey. It would be interesting to understand his observations on what's changed in the last few years (this is my first reason for a revised version). Second, Lessig appears to be a political person and the book at its core is a well done advocacy book capped by its last chapter. He unfortunately links his advocacy in the final chapter to the rather temporal/dynamic realities/lessons of "failure" in Iraq ... and to our environmental(global warming) tipping point. ie. Media conglomerates cannot win the copyright/sharing war for the same reason we cannot win in Iraq. With the benefit of time it would appear that Iraq has been won using the wise application of power. Oops. So Warner Brothers (and the media giants) will win too? Global warming and the ecological tipping point suffer the same undertainty problem (the last chapter is therefore my second reason for a revised edition). Net review however is the structure of Lessig's argument is insightful and sound. But for the author I would advise more careful consideration in linking his strong logical arguments to seemingly parallel, but in reality, distinctly different, certainly temporal and profoundly unsettled matters.

Lawrence Lessig offers a clear voice in favor of copyright law reform, but there's something more, perhaps even more important, happening in this book.

In order to present his sometimes repetitive argument that technology has galloped forward and inadvertently extended copyright law where no law should ever be permitted to go (in particular, regulating amateur, nonprofit use of material), Lessig talks about the mash-up culture. He explains how today's kids have been handed the digital tools with which to sample and recreate culture and that it has become their form of writing. And writing, he argues, is how we come to understand the world, because in the act of writing we explain things to ourselves.

Whereas those of us who grew up in a text culture learned to write and quote relevant sources, today's "writers" quote by sampling: text, audio, video. And while such sampling is currently proscribed by interpretations of copyright law, it is nonetheless a wildly popular new form of expression. Lessig argues that we criminalize such behavior at our and our children's peril (one of his arguments for legal reform), but the larger story he tells in the process is well worth a read. We are already living in his "hybrid" culture.

I'm not a lawyer. I don't want to be mean to anyone but lawyers don't exactly have a reputation to write books that are fun to read and have a nice flow to it. But, Lawrence Lessig did wrote an amazingly interesting and easy to read book! The writer has a very liberal point of view but after all that happened in Sweden with The Pirate Bay, his point of view feels like the only way out. I recommend this to anyone who is somehow connected to (or interested in) the music, movie and internet business.