How to control the Internet.

>From: Blanc Weber <blancw@microsoft.com>
>To: bdolan@well.sf.ca.us
>Date: Mon, 21 Mar 94 09:49:56 PST
>Subject: RE: How to control Internet?  Buy it!
>Cc: cypherpunks@toad.com
>Status: R


>>I'm having a nightmare about a Microsoft-like domination of global
>>communications, complete with SPA police, etc.
>>.................................

>Unlike the government, Microsoft and McCaw Cellular both depend upon a 
>customer-driven market for their acceptance.  They must convince their 
>customers that they are better than the competition in providing a 
>similar service; they must adjust this service to the customer's 
>requests & preferences or lose the account.

>Blanc

That's the way it's supposed to be.  What happens in practice - not
specifically with Microsoft or McCaw [I don't want to hear from the
platoons of lawyers. ;-)] - is that the big guys run down to Washington, 
pull a few strings, make a few contributions, and ask the government 
to use its resources and force to ensure that the corporate-desired 
outcome results.

I remember when patents and copyrights were _privileges_ granted to
encourage creativity and there was no such thing as "intellectual
_property_".

I remember a time when the idea of a royalty-tax on blank tapes to 
pay for presumed copyright infringement was regarded as crazy.


bdolan@well.sf.ca.us

> >>I'm having a nightmare about a Microsoft-like domination of global
> >>communications, complete with SPA police, etc.
> >>.................................
> 
> >Unlike the government, Microsoft and McCaw Cellular both depend upon a 
> >customer-driven market for their acceptance.  They must convince their 
> >customers that they are better than the competition in providing a 
> >similar service; they must adjust this service to the customer's 
> >requests & preferences or lose the account.
> 
> >Blanc
> 
And the island of Lanai and it's beaches are supposed to be part of the
State of Hawaii and therefore available to the public yet Bill was able
to block all access to the island for his wedding...  (Stink still going
on about that too)

-Jim


.........................
. ==  =    =  Jim Wilson......
.  "  "    "  P. O. Box 15432..........
.  "  " /\ "  Honolulu, HI  96830-5432......
. \"  "/  \"  jdwilson@gold.chem.hawaii.edu.
............................................

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