In honor of the SOPA blackout, here are some thoughts on copyright law. But first, a brief detour into murder law. There are a positive number of murders each year. If we put more resources into investigating and prosecuting murders, there would be fewer murders. Nevertheless, it is not at all clear that we are spending too little on murder. The optimal number of murders is positive, not zero. The best policy with respect to murder is to try to maximize the net benefits of the policy, not to minimize murders.
Copyright theory versus copyright law
Copyright theory versus copyright law
Copyright theory versus copyright law
In honor of the SOPA blackout, here are some thoughts on copyright law. But first, a brief detour into murder law. There are a positive number of murders each year. If we put more resources into investigating and prosecuting murders, there would be fewer murders. Nevertheless, it is not at all clear that we are spending too little on murder. The optimal number of murders is positive, not zero. The best policy with respect to murder is to try to maximize the net benefits of the policy, not to minimize murders.