cover image Owning the Future CL

Owning the Future CL

Seth Shulman. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), $25 (224pp) ISBN 978-0-395-84175-4

Technology journalist Schulman tackles what is arguably the most important--if not the most obvious--economic and cultural development of the century's end: the privatization of information and knowledge. He raises a sobering alarm about what this trend ultimately means for the future of democratic society. There is, he writes, ""an uncontrolled stampede to auction off our technological and cultural heritage"" through the expansion of patents, copyrights and trademarks. Asserting that the legal concept of ownership is being stretched to cover intangible concepts that have always been shared and have enriched public life, not just private owners, Shulman urges thoughtful government intervention: reduce the scope of legally recognized intellectual property; simplify the adjudication of claims; and adjust the civil penalties for inadvertent or borderline infringement. He also argues for using zoning, sanctuary and antitrust laws to protect the public. Dozens of cases in diverse fields enliven the book as Shulman never lets his argument overwhelm the characters. He introduces eccentrics and idealists, geniuses and clever fakers, individuals being harassed by huge corporations and huge corporations being harassed by individuals. As Shulman tells readers exciting stories of innovation and the battles that flow from it, we learn quite a bit about science, law and politics. There will be those who find Shulman's warnings alarmist, but there's no doubt that he has clearly outlined what he calls ""the vexing problems that emerge when knowledge is treated exclusively as a commodity."" (Feb.)