“It might take 10 years of litigation to get a clear sense of this. That’s 10 years of chilled innovation,” Larry Lessig tells Business Week Online about the far reaching impact of the MGM vs Grokster ruling. I personally feel that the decision is actually a good thing - it sets a very high standard for digital life related start-ups. Only the strongest and most convincing and legally sound start-ups are going to get off the ground in US, and will be able to raise money. In other words, I think it is going to keep the riff-raff from muddying the waters. Lessig, also, like most others is taking a highly US centric view of the technology world. Lessig, in-fact should have said, “10 years of chilled innovation in the US.” Today the standards and innovation come from where the big markets are - Asia in general, China and Korea in specific. Just ask the WiMAX camp why they needed the WiBro blessings. Kazaa spawned Skype in Europe. Innovators, just might have to fly to a new innova-nation!
4 comments so far
11:12 AM PT
“Only the strongest and most convincing and legally sound start-ups are going to get off the ground in US”
That’s a good thing??
11:30 AM PT
‘Good’ is relative. If a side effects is a greater balance of power in the technology industry, and we start seeing riskier and more exciting ideas cropping out of places like India, Signapore, etc at the expense of American industry, would you consider that ‘bad’?
American innovation is not the panacea for the world’s woes.
3:26 PM PT
The best ideas have often come from people on the fringes who have no real concern with legal ramifications, anyway. The Grokster ruling will not chill innovation, but it may chill the ability to raise 10 of millions quickly for the “next big thing.” The gap between big economic interest and innovation will continue to widen and that is probably a good thing.
12:02 PM PT
>> sets a very high standard for digital life related start-ups
I agree with this statement. Someday, P2P technology will be imbedded into a legitimate business plan that will work for both television content owners and consumers.
The consumer benefit of a legitimate business is two-fold: (1) the quality of the video will be high and (2) the stability of the provider will help guarantee widespread adaption. Not to mention that stable business sectors spawn competition and help drive down prices.
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