B.I.O.S. to lock out non-Windows code ?

[Hugh Reilly]

> > >DRM is welcome imho if it will stop the flood of counterfeit copyware 
>that
> > >floods and destroys markets, and if it will cause the riaa etc to back 
>off
> > >from pressuring other uses of shared bandwidth. It is not welcome if it
> > >locks the ability to use the machine for other things, such as writing
> > >your own code/device driver or copying your own anniversary and wedding
> > >DVDs and CDs (a real problem right now). In the way they want to do it 
>now
> > >DRM is not welcome, as it locks both.

DRM is the police-state on your computer.

The most significant factor w.r.t. software (and in fact any intellectual 
property in the digital age) as an "economic product" is that its marginal 
cost approaches zero. Ie., once the "product" is market-ready, it can be 
reproduced ad-infinitum, virtually (ha ha) for free.

Which means that it is characteristically "abundant", rather than "scarce" 
like traditional economic products made out of atoms. But the money that we 
are using is "scarce" money. Since many people understand the distinction 
between scarce money and abundant economic products at a gut level, many are 
quite hesitant about spending their hard-earned (scarce) dollars for 
(abundant) digital products like software.

I believe the real solution is to develop an "abundant" currency that can be 
used for such products, which will comprise an ever-increasing portion of 
the GNP, much as industrial products supplanted agriculture as the principle 
area of economic activity.





-Hugh
_______________________________________________
Hugh Reilly
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