The NYT last week reported that Hong Kong is mobilizing "all members of the Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and nine other uniformed youth groups" to "search Internet discussion sites for illegal copies of copyrighted songs and movies, and report them to the authorities."

The story contains the usual back-and-forth between endorsers and hand-wringers -- but the most interesting dimension of the matter is the recognition that the unauthorized downloading really is desctructive to the interests of the community as a whole, and that the community as a whole should cooperate to stop it. The contrast to certain other nations, in which the concept of "the community" is trotted out as an excuse for free riding and exploitation of creators, is striking.

In addition, it exemplifies the rising awareness Asian nations that they have creative and inventive populations, and that if they foster this creativity by recognizing IP, then they will kick the butts of other nations that seem to think that everyone can free ride on everyone. (Names are omitted to protect the guilty.)

Link from IP Due Diligence.

posted by James DeLong @ 10:21 AM | International

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