[MURG] Uploading IP (intellectual property)

[Yan King Yin]

From: "Joseph J. Strout" <joe at strout.net>

>Strout, J. "Mind Uploading: an alternative path to immortality." 
>_Cryonics_ 19:26-30 (1998).
>
>If you can't find this at your library you can probably order a copy 
>from Alcor (publishers of Cryonics magazine).

I'm trying to get it. The site at Alcor says some issues are
missing, including that one.

>>50 years' time-to-market doesn't really preclude
>>the possibility of securitization. It actually
>>makes things go smoother, even accelerate it,
>>whereas if we don't do it the pie will be grabbed
>>by the most aggressive people or companies in the
>>future. That will be a more chaotic outcome where
>>original contributors would not be rewarded much.
>
>It certainly won't be more chaotic; quite the contrary, the more the 
>relevant research is in the public domain, the smoother and more 
>certain it will be for everybody.  

Your point is patently not true, if you keep in mind
that uploading eventually will NOT be a free thing.
The computer itself at least costs money.  The software
will also likely be commercial. I can imagine that some
software can be developed for free, but why would that
be a better outcome if the programmers don't get paid
for what they do? Your idea of "smooth" is not the same
as mine or someone else's. It boils down to who grabs
how big a slice.

>And as for rewarding the original contributors: who cares?
>Isn't immortality reward enough?

There's more to it than rewarding contributors. It
also means extra funding for research *now* and thus
accelerating progress. If you really don't care, I'd
gladly grab your pie. But seriously, I think any
organization that tries to develop uploading will be
under tremendous pressure (from the general public)
to drive the price as low as possible. Better picture
this plan as having =acceleration= and =R&D=funding=
as top priorities and expect to just barely break even
financially, then you'll see this more positively.

YKY


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