[OT] Re: FTA and news media (was: Re: [plug] xbox)

[James Devenish]

In message <1078450186.4447.8.camel at albert.localnet>
on Fri, Mar 05, 2004 at 09:29:46AM +0800, Craig Ringer wrote:
> On Thu, 2004-03-04 at 22:50, James Devenish wrote:
> 
> > Various negative impacts upon intellectual property (and other nuances
> > besides the better-known pharmaceutical and agricultural trade issues)
> > have been known for some time, so why is it that media coverage
> > continues to overlook these matters? 
> 
> Because it's "too hard" - most people hear "computer" related matters
> (in the broadest possible sense, including things like software patent
> law) and immediately switch off.

If the media are so capable of distorting matters generally, surely they
can find a way to incorporate IP matters. Most people who want to do
everyday activities with music and entertainment would be quite ready to
accept news about expansions or limitations of those activities. At one
stage, I remember remember hearing some bad new about trademarks. Maybe
there could be a tie-in with sport -- could a US company with no
Australian operations take control of Australian words and phrases like
"Aussie rules" or something?

> Did you forget that Australia is still an primary production nation,
> anyway :-P ?

<grin>