[gmw]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

I was actually talking about a copy of the brain state that would be tradeable, and when used correctly would lead to the art. Are we going to start copyrighting brain states, and by extension the brain itself? Perhaps we have already done so.

But again you seem to be under the impression that the act of creation is some sort of static "state" thing that can be captured at a single moment in time ... it is almost never like that. Creation is an act of Will, an expenditure of time and effort and dedication. The final result may be something that people can push around the Internet with little care and less thought, but the act of creation is something else entirely.

Originally Posted by Giggleton

As to the second thought, it appears to me that our culture has gotten better the more educated its citizens are, so stop spending money on bombs and start dropping ereaders from planes, or pbooks I suppose, maybe solar powered disposable ereaders?

Taxpayer funding for the arts? Wouldn't that be better than tax money for bombs? We wouldn't really need copyright in that type of situation.

So if I decide to give up my normal job and try writing books because it sounds like a lark, and "hey" the tax payers are going to fund me while it happens, then you think that is a way to go? There are lots of better things to spend money on than bombs (unless bombs are what you actually need at the time of course), but paying everyone who thinks they may have a book in the heads doesn't seem like a wise investment of taxpayer funds to me.