I am very grateful to the Cato Institute and Jim Harper for having me as a panelist at today's conference on intellectual property. I have always admired how Cato has walked that delicate line of libertarianism -- a belief in markets and a resistance to government action -- regarding intellectual property. It is a line I myself walk as a "practical" libertarian. I wonder how some of the Cato fellows and alums in the audience felt, then, when twice Cato was welcomed into the fold as a copyfighter. Rep. Zoe Lofgren and the CEA's Gary Shapiro both did so. Lofgren said she didn't recall ever stepping foot into Cato before, but "this might be one area where Cato and I form a working partnership." Shapiro urged Cato to take the issue to the Hill.

What Lofgren and Shapiro are referring to is a recent paper published by Cato that calls for, essentially, a repeal of the DMCA. The paper takes a very cynical view toward intellectual property rights and creators. At Cato, like at PFF, its papers don't speak for the institution. But several individuals at the luncheon after the conference said that Cato is now perceived as having chosen a side. If they have, I am at least grateful that they designated a minority of their seats at today's conference for defenders of IP rights and artists.