iPod: I is for Induce

Apple does a world-class job of building and promoting the iPod. How good a job will they do defending themselves in myriad court cases for daring to sell what people actually want?

TODAY the Senate Judiciary committee is considering a bill called the Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act, which holds Apple and every other MP3-related manufacturer liable for things they don't do. Because you, the consumer, might put MP3s on your iPod which you might not have the rights to, Senator Orrin Hatch and the RIAA want to make it very easy to sue Apple for -- maybe, possibly, in some cases -- making it easy for you to steal music. This law could easily find itself extended to a variety of consumer electronics including general-purpose PCs. The end-result would be slower innovation and higher prices. That would, in turn, slow consumer spending on technology products -- always a good idea.

Organizations like Public Knowledge are working to keep this travesty from taking place -- support them. The EFF has been kind enough to write an fictitious lawsuit for those of you who want a concrete example.

Posted by scottrafer, July 21, 2004 07:57 AM | | TrackBack