How to control the Internet.

[Bradley W. Dolan]

>From: Blanc Weber <blancw at microsoft.com>
>To: bdolan at well.sf.ca.us
>Date: Mon, 21 Mar 94 09:49:56 PST
>Subject: RE: How to control Internet?  Buy it!
>Cc: cypherpunks at toad.com
>Status: R


>>I'm having a nightmare about a Microsoft-like domination of global
>>communications, complete with SPA police, etc.
>>.................................

>Unlike the government, Microsoft and McCaw Cellular both depend upon a 
>customer-driven market for their acceptance.  They must convince their 
>customers that they are better than the competition in providing a 
>similar service; they must adjust this service to the customer's 
>requests & preferences or lose the account.

>Blanc

That's the way it's supposed to be.  What happens in practice - not
specifically with Microsoft or McCaw [I don't want to hear from the
platoons of lawyers. ;-)] - is that the big guys run down to Washington, 
pull a few strings, make a few contributions, and ask the government 
to use its resources and force to ensure that the corporate-desired 
outcome results.

I remember when patents and copyrights were _privileges_ granted to
encourage creativity and there was no such thing as "intellectual
_property_".

I remember a time when the idea of a royalty-tax on blank tapes to 
pay for presumed copyright infringement was regarded as crazy.


bdolan at well.sf.ca.us