Let the copies breed. Whatever it is that we are constructing by connecting everything to everything, we know the big thing will copy effortlessly. The I-way is a gigantic copy machine. It is a law of the digital realm: anything digital will be copied, and anything copied once will fill the universe. Further, every effort to restrict copying is doomed to failure.
Predictor: Kelly, Kevin
Prediction, in context:In a 1994 article he wrote for newspaper The Guardian of London, Wired magazine editor Kevin Kelly says: ”Let the copies breed. Whatever it is that we are constructing by connecting everything to everything, we know the big thing will copy effortlessly. The I-way is a gigantic copy machine. It is a law of the digital realm: anything digital will be copied, and anything copied once will fill the universe. Further, every effort to restrict copying is doomed to failure. Copy-protection schemes in software were abandoned because they didn’t work. In the U.S. Supreme Court, home tapers of satellite TV shows won the right to copy copyrighted material in their homes. Controlling copies is futile. This presents a problem for all holders of intellectual property who adhere to the notion of copyright – such as Hollywood moguls and authors. Copyright law as we know it will be dead in 50 years. A legal system that shifts the focus from the ‘copy’ to the ‘use’ must take its place, letting copies proliferate, and tracking only how and when an item is used. Copy this article, please!”
Biography:Kevin Kelly was the author of the book “Out of Control” and the first executive editor of the highly influential Wired magazine. (Author/Editor/Journalist.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1994
Topic of prediction: Controversial Issues
Subtopic: Copyright/Intellectual Property/Plagiarism
Name of publication: The Guardian (London)
Title, headline, chapter name: In 2004 We’ll All Live on the Internet with Silicon Valley Visionaries. Kevin Kelly Already Does.
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document?_m=da999e988215a1ea15b156d0f8aa909c
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney