The Hidden Cost of ‘Free’: The Big Steal Shines a Light on the Domestic Threat to U.S. IP Rights - P7
- Shidonna Raven
- 26 minutes ago
- 2 min read
By Bruce Berman
January 9, 2025
Source: IP Watchdog
Photo / Image Source: Unsplash,
The (High) Cost of Free
In the introduction to this book, “The Cost of Free” (which might have been “The High Cost of Free”) Barnett makes a strong case for how content and invention theft is rationalized by both businesses and consumers. The section, “The Hidden Costs of Free Stuff,” is a revealing look at what happens when fundamental property rights like IP are ignored. This accessible book can be read and understood by almost any college student and should be included in undergraduate courses.
Both patent and copyright holders need a remedy to the thin rule of law that currently protects patents and copyrights. Meritocracy is fundamental to U.S. leadership. That must include intellectual property. The nation, and the new ideas it generates, will have a difficult time staying competitive without the foundation of merit supported by rule of law. Barnett alludes to influence and self- interest of big tech but refrains from making too specific a case for the origins and extensive lobbying that got us here. Indeed, his book is not investigative journalism, nor should it be. It is insightful and provocative analysis of the weakened U.S. IP system and the problems that have ensued and need to be addressed. It is not about keeping competitors “out,” but about fueling our resources from within. Audiences should make the time to read this important book. Many will eagerly; others with reluctance. Some might find its truths painful or embarrassing.
Now is the perfect time for a leading company to step up and accept paying the royalties they must. They will be thought of as strong business leaders, not weak managers. The reasons to support IP rights or not go beyond quarterly profits. Organizations like the 4,000-member Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), which tracks provenance in images to prevent fakes and unauthorized changes, and provides the ability to track theft via ablockchain-like, open-source system, is the inevitable future of copyrighted content value. Patent/product tracking are likely to move in a similar direction. Tracking prior art and infringed claims will eventually be sorted with the help of AI prompts and will not necessarily need to be adjudicated by the courts.
Share the wealth of health with your friends and family by sharing this article with 3 people today.
If this article was helpful to you, donate to the Shidonna Raven Garden and Cook E-Magazine Today. Thank you in advance.
Comments