Posts tagged “technology policy”

I outline my wish list for Obama's national CTO: mandate that government IT actually improve efficiency, require open APIs so agencies can share data without redundant collection, move all paperwork online with real digital capture, and consolidate physical offices into universal "Department of Getting Stuff Done" service centers.

Obama gets technology in ways Hillary simply doesn't. His policies on net neutrality, privacy, open government and appointing a national CTO show real understanding of how deeply IT shapes our economy. Any candidate ignoring technology in 2008 isn't ready to lead through 2016.

Software patents differ fundamentally from copyright: copyright protects your specific work, but patents let you block anyone from implementing similar ideas, even independently. This stifles innovation, which depends on building on existing ideas. Software patents serve lawyers, not inventors, and shouldn't be allowed in the EU.

Compulsory licensing for free music downloads sounds appealing but doesn't work. The real fix is making buying music easier than stealing it. Right now, stealing wins on convenience. I'd pay per song for guaranteed quality, but not RIAA prices -- they're a useless middleman ripping everyone off.