ON THE BOOKSHELVES OF THE DIGERATI
Pamela Samuelson
Professor of law and of information management and systems, UC Berkeley
The Social Life of Information by John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid Although they do not discuss intellectual property at any length, it seems to me that Brown and Duguid's basic thesis has implications for the preservation of fair use rights in copyright law. If you realize that all copyrighted works draw upon other works and are embedded in an ongoing social dialogue, then fair use makes sense as a way to make sure that conversation keeps going and new works are created. It's a social bargain, and we all benefit. Brown comes from Xerox, which has long been involved in the intellectual-property wars. Publishers, of course, were very unhappy with the company and its copier at one time."
Tyler Peppel
Angel investor
The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean With orchids, no one gets involved just a little bit. People go off the deep end and squander their fortunes tracking down legendary strains like the Ghost Orchid. Illegal trafficking has been running for hundreds of years, with criminals poaching protected orchids from Southeast Asia, Brazil, and the Everglades. Breeders create new strains, but it takes seven or eight years before they can know the results - it's bioengineering at a snail's pace. Orlean makes herself disappear as a voice and lets the obsessive subculture speak for itself. And the book is wonderfully short, which I'm finding increasingly appealing."
STREET CRED
Trafficking Jam
Invisible Band
Jet Pack
Flash of Recognition
The Bargain Store
Caddie Whack
Six Million Degrees of Separation
ReadMe
Music
Ring My Bell
Scene Blocking 101
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Just Outta Beta
Underware
Derailing the Thought Train
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