He makes a good argument. I think the European experience supports him.

EU law uses the term “intellectual property”. In fact, “protection of intellectual property” is enshrined as a fundamental right in EU law. When EU politicians demand respect for fundamental rights and values from American tech companies, it implies cracking down on piracy and giving money to copyright owners.

Applying property thinking to data is responsible for many, maybe most, of the problems that make it so hard to build a tech industry in the EU.

To explain what that is: UK Newspapers all printed the same cover page to demand money for copyright owners. They all joined together to make their demand. Newspapers like to market themselves as guardians of democracy. This is what it looks like when they really want something.

They are spreading a lot of deceptive talking points. So here’s some facts.

UK copyright law applies in the UK. If the owners’ demands are met, then British people will have to pay owners around the world to use AI. These international owners try to invoke national solidarity by talking about “protecting British creativity”. But that’s a lie. British creatives would have to pay extra for software like photoshop, while the money would go to owners around the world. For example, Reddit would get money for owning the copyrights to the users’ posts.

Copyright is intellectual property. Like any other property, it is typically owned by the corporation that employed the worker that made it. If the owners are able to lobby their way to some free money, normal workers will not see a cent. Even most authors won’t. The printers, secretaries, janitorial staff, and so on, without whom none of these newspapers would exist, certainly won’t.

These are daily newspapers. Yesterday’s news are proverbially worthless. All the labor that went into producing these newspapers, including the authors, has been paid off. If these corporations get their wish, they will be able to sell their intellectual property a second time. That’s pure profit.

If this was about supporting “British creativity”, then you could use taxes to subsidize, for example, rooms for band practice. You could give the BBC more money for journalism. If you’re worried about job losses, you’d be thinking about unemployment benefits. No one is asking for any of that. It’s all about money for property owners around the world.

Especially the Sun and DM (wasn’t expecting that)

Why not? Because their owners already have enough money? I’m surprised by The Guardian, but that’s class solidarity for you. Owners of the world, united. Explains a lot about the state of the world.

I wonder if the world would be any different if Hilbert had never lived.

But it isn’t Wednesday yet?

RIP MTV

Hmm. There are a number of examples of feudalist societies intentionally suppressing technological advances to keep the social order stable; ie preserve the good life for the people on top.

And every so often you still get young men trying to cleanse the temple mount by force of arms. Talk about starting a trend.

“I’d far rather be happy than right any day."

“And are you?”

“No. That’s where it all falls down, of course.”

― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Haha. Life in Australia. Amirite?

That’s a cock rooster.

As the story goes, John Steinbeck was told by one of his professors that he would become an author when pigs fly,[…]

The accurate phrase is “ad astra per ALAS porci,”[“to the stars on the wings of a pig.”] which means that Steinbeck in his snarky revenge was demonstrating far and wide that he was a bad student after all – and thanks to his famous but inaccurate imprint, countless people are running around with tattoos which actually say “to the stars through other pigs.”[“ad astra per alia porci”]

https://sluggoonthestreet.tumblr.com/post/188811241794/as-the-story-goes-john-steinbeck-was-told-by-one

Seriously, why are they producing all these great promo shots for him? If they had done that for someone like Bernie Sanders, the US would be in much better shape now.

(explaining the title reference)

“Good-morning, good-morning!” the General said

When we met him last week on our way to the line.

Now the soldiers he smiled at are most of 'em dead,

And we’re cursing his staff for incompetent swine.

“He’s a cheery old card,” grunted Harry to Jack

As they slogged up to Arras with rifle and pack.

But he did for them both by his plan of attack.

Gooble! Gobble!

At least it’s not slacking off anymore.

Thank you. Since we decided a few weeks ago to adopt the leaf as legal tender, we have, of course, all become immensely rich.

But we have also run into a small inflation problem on account of the high level of leaf availability, which means that, I gather, the current going rate has something like three deciduous forests buying on ship’s peanut.

So in order to obviate this problem and effectively revalue the leaf, we are about to embark on a massive defoliation campaign, and…er, burn down all the forests. I think you’ll all agree that’s a sensible move under the circumstances.

Many were increasingly of the opinion that they’d all made a big mistake coming down from the trees in the first place, and some said that even the trees had been a bad move, and that no-one should ever have left the oceans.

Well, maybe it wouldn’t if it was gluten-free. Have you thought of that? No, you didn’t, you only think of yourself.

Oh. Someone did notice. How? You use your own font?