If there’s one thing the open-source community is known for, it’s chutzpah. In a recent online petition, more than 1500 Linux users told the SCO Group, which owns intellectual property rights to key components of the Unix operating system, to sue them. This show of bravado is in reaction to letters the SCO Group sent [...]
Author Archive | Sonia Arrison
Missing Manners
Sonia Arrison (2003.05.23 ) Politics
In a recent column, Judith Martin, otherwise known as “Miss Manners,” pondered “why a society composed of people angling to get on television to confess their disappointments or, now that we have reality television, demonstrate their shortcomings, would defend privacy with a straight face.” The answer is that different motivations drive arguments in favor of [...]
The Internet Tax Debate: Tax.con
Sonia Arrison (2003.04.15 ) Politics, Technology
April 15 is here and taxes are on everyone’s mind. It’s a tough time of year for those who get unexpected or hefty tax bills, and the situation could get worse if state legislators around the country win the ability to further tax Internet transactions. The Internet tax debate is slippery, filled with misperceptions, heated [...]
Digital Television and Copy Protection: Government Mandated Technology is a Bad Idea
Sonia Arrison (2002.12.15 ) Politics
Earlier this year, Silicon Valley was outraged at a proposal to prohibit the sale of almost any technology unless it contains copy protection standards endorsed by the federal government. While that proposal is unlikely to become law, there’s a similar initiative afoot at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the guise of encouraging the rollout [...]
The Legitimacy of Intellectual Property
Sonia Arrison (2002.11.20 ) Copyrights, Politics
Revolutionary technologies always disrupt society and one of America’s biggest “digital age” disruptions is occurring in the area of intellectual property (IP). Indeed, the digital revolution has re-ignited a heated debate over whether intellectual property is even property at all. The issue gained prominence a few years ago when five major record labels sued Napster, [...]
Open Source Socialism
Sonia Arrison (2002.10.05 ) Politics
At a recent Stanford University lecture, open source proselytizer Bruce Perens encouraged students to get involved in the open source political movement. A few folks were enthused, but many seemed confused by how a method of software production and distribution can ignite such activism. Open source software products are usually free of charge and are [...]
Microsoft’s Nose, Technology’s Face
Sonia Arrison (2002.06.24 ) Politics
When future policymakers want to understand the law and economics surrounding one of the most watched antitrust cases in history, they will look to “Microsoft, Antitrust and the New Economy,” a recent compilation of essays published by the Milken Institute. The book’s authors include many individuals closely involved in Microsoft’s legal defense, which makes for [...]
Making Gray Davis Accountable
Sonia Arrison (2002.06.19 ) Politics
California’s Governor Gray Davis is in hot water over his acceptance of $25,000 from Oracle Corporation following the state’s no-bid $95 million dollar e-government deal with the company. And while the governor probably wishes he had never heard of e-government, Americans want more of it in the form of e-accountability. E-government — using technology to [...]