File sharing

Shirky on RIAA and encryption

Clay Shirky talks about how the RIAA's current legal strategy is driving broad public adoption of encryption in his latest essay. The essay is good (especially since I will be arguing much the same point), but Clay's use of the term cat and mouse game is interesting:

The obvious parallel here is with Prohibition. By making it unconstitutional for an adult to have a drink in their own home, Prohibition created a cat and mouse game between law enforcement and millions of citizens engaged in an activity that was illegal but popular. As with file sharing, the essence of the game was hidden transactions -- you needed to be able to get into a speakeasy or buy bootleg without being seen.

Posted by Mayhem at December 18, 2003 11:25 AM