The Church of the Customer blog quotes an NY Times interview with David Bowie who says:
I’m fully confident that copyright for instance, will no longer exist in 10 years, and authorship and intellectual property is in for such a bashing.
Bowie believes the future of the music industry is that songs become advertisements for artists, who must rely more on touring to making a living. As the blog points out, Bowie has been a master innovator and his view carries some credibility.
Personally, I find many of the people who bang on about protecting their IP a bit unattractive. If Isaac Newton can acknowledge standing on the shoulders of giants, I think the music industry and a few others could show a greater awareness that any idea is the end product of a rich tapestry of culture and other’ peoples ideas. For myself, I don’t try too hard to own my ideas because I learn so much by sharing them and exposing them to other people’s criticism and comment. And one of the greatest pleasures is being part of great Improv, whether comedy or music, where the real thrill is in the spirit of collaboration and spontaneity.
