French button-makers and RIAA
p2pnet.net News:- Are you interested in learning more about economics, but you have no training at all in the subject?
Then Techdirt strongly recommends Robert L. Heilbroner’s The Worldly Philosophers.
“Reading through an early chapter, though, it struck me how eerily a specific story Heilbroner told about France in 1666 matches up with what’s happening today with the way the recording industry has reacted to innovations that have challenged their business models,” says Mike, going on:
Just two paragraphs highlight a couple of situations with striking similarities to the world today:
The question has come up whether a guild master of the weaving industry should be allowed to try an innovation in his product. The verdict: ‘If a cloth weaver intends to process a piece according to his own invention, he must not set it on the loom, but should obtain permission from the judges of the town to employ the number and length of threads that he desires, after the question has been considered by four of the oldest merchants and four of the oldest weavers of the guild.’ One can imagine how many suggestions for change were tolerated.
Shortly after the matter of cloth weaving has been disposed of, the button makers guild raises a cry of outrage; the tailors are beginning to make buttons out of cloth, an unheard-of thing. The government, indignant that an innovation should threaten a settled industry, imposes a fine on the cloth-button makers. But the wardens of the button guild are not yet satisfied. They demand the right to search people’s homes and wardrobes and fine and even arrest them on the streets if they are seen wearing these subversive goods.
Requiring permission to innovate? Feeling entitled to search others’ property? Getting the power to act like law enforcement in order to fine or arrest those who are taking part in activities that challenge your business model? Don’t these all sound quite familiar?
Centuries from now (hopefully much, much sooner), the actions of the RIAA, MPAA and others that match those of the weavers and button-makers of 17th century France will seem just as ridiculous.
(Thanks, Julie)
Also See:
Techdirt – History Repeats Itself: How The RIAA Is Like 17th Century French Button-Makers, January 11, 2007
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January 15th, 2007 at 8:33 am
Given that general change, innovation, and development seem to happen on an exponential scale based on the time line of history, I’d estimate that the entire concept of restrictive IP law will blow over in about 40-70 years. That’s not very encouraging, but that seems to be the most logical range given the stubbornness of the anti-piracy groups and the willingness of the governments to help them.