Nate Lanxon
Nate Lanxon is CNET UK's Senior Editor of News and Features, and covers every aspect of technology for Crave. He also enjoys popular-science books, obscure Japanese animation and plays 'technical metal' on the drums, whatever that is.
Friday 18 January 2008, 11:47am
'Future of Ideas' up as free PDF download
In a brilliant act of practicing what he preaches, law professor and respected supporter of the Creative Commons movement, Lawrence Lessig, has released his superb book, The Future of Ideas, as a free, Creative Commons-licensed download from its Web site.
The Future of Ideas is an eye-opener of a book. Its tag line, 'The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World', is as literal a description of the book as is possible. In it, Lessig explains the worrying observation that as the Internet and the digital world shifts into a new paradigm, the media corporations of the world are trying to control creativity and new thinking. This is done in such a restrictive way that it places a legal stranglehold on freedoms of expression and artistic experimentation.
For anyone concerned with the state of the legal system when it comes to digital media, the book is a must read. A great deal of it concerns American politics and legal positions, but it's nonetheless a fascinating and important insight into the current, and pending, state of digital copyright affairs.
As a free PDF download, anyone is free to read this terrific book online, or print it out on the office printer for more comfortable read later. A crucial read.
Articles by Nate Lanxon
HTC HD2 on in O2 stores today: We say don't buy just yet!
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Modern Warfare 2 headshots entertainment industry records
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Win a Sonos S5 music system and CR200 controller worth £600!
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Asus G51J 3D: Nvidia 3D technology comes to gaming laptops
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