“Linux got going not because someone successfully patented
the idea, but because they shared the idea,” Lawrence Lessig
told technology leaders at Esther Dyson’s annual PC Forum
conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. “Five years ago if you had a great
idea, you coded. Today, if you have a great idea, you call a
lawyer.”
“Intellectual property grabs such as Priceline’s patent on the
reverse-auction process and Amazon.com’s patents on one-click
ordering and associate marketing indicate that “we are retreating
from a commitment that created [the Internet], possibly the most
dramatic growth in innovation we have ever seen,” said Lessig,
author of the recent book, “Code and Other Laws of
Cyberspace….”