(2007-06-15) Doctorow Google Talk

Cory Doctorow gave a talk at Google about how US trade policy had driven the US to abandon the tech sector and all the enterprises it supports in favor of a doomed plan to replace American industry with Police Academy sequels and Happy Meal toys. (Video) (Economic Development)

• His point is that we support Free Trade for countries to make stuff for us, as long as they sign our Intellectual Property agreements in exchange.

  • this includes rules that stifle Innovation and the Free Press (e.g. DMCA)

  • we need to Make Money with information, not by selling information (Business Models For Information). Is he saying this is enough, or is he saying we need Protectionism for making stuff so we don't have to worry so much about our Trade Deficit?

• He says (some) publishers have their set-up costs so low that they can break even on selling 4000 of a 1st novel. (Book Publishing)