Escrúpulos Una piedra en la conciencia del software libre, calidad y la vida misma

In case you missed it, here is the transcript of an excellent talk by Cory Doctorow on copyright, licenses and digital restrictions management. It outlines some actions by the media publishers that I think explain exactly why I go ballistic when I look at what has become the relationship between companies and government.

I do believe in companies as a way to do things more efficiently and in a more motivating way than in other ways (volunteering, state bureaucracy, etc.). But lately, there are more events involving companies trying to bend the rules or even make the rules to their liking.

So, that got me thinking. What if we finally acknowledge the fact that companies need to lobby the government and act in consequence. In my country, the universities are autonomous entities. They get money from the government, but their ruling is divided equally among professors, students and non-teaching staff. Each of them is voted by its respective constituents and everyone knows who the elected person is representing. So, let's do the same. For once, we should acknowledge the fact that companies are now almost real person in their rights. Let's make them equal, and in the process, make them more visible and also assign them responsibilities, why not?

My proposal is to let companies vote. They can decide whether it is 1 vote per company, or the votes are proportional to their tax contribution or what have you. The main issue here is to let them elect legislators, so they don't have to buy them after the fact, like they do now. Say, 1/3 of the total are elected by companies, 1/3 by the people, and the remaining third, let's auction it or whatever. The result would be having legislators who are very clear on what company they are sponsoring. Instead of the legislator from this or that district, or from such party, we would have the legislator from the media industry, and the legislator from the utilities sector. Now, that would be much more clear when they talk and they try to push these outrageous laws, right?

All good and clear then, now make it a federal offense if a company approaches any of the legislators for the people within a 100 meter for no reason. Instate a 3-strike law, no ruling needed, and get that company in jail for a year when it breaks the rules. Ooops, companies can't go to jail, can they? Ok then, hit them where it hurts. All income for a year goes straight to healthcare programs. Now that's something companies can understand, right? And I didn't say earnings, I said incomes. Better have savings if you intend to break the law.

Last time I checked, our constitution, and that of many countries, starts with "We, the representatives of the people of ... ". There were no corporate sponsors at the time, and I would appreciate if there were no corporate sponsors now in every congress, state legislation and city hall. Stop trying to bend the rules, please. I am a citizen before being a consumer, or worse, a licensee (because you don't really buy anything lately, you just get a EULA for it). Until companies become citizens too, they have no business trying to force laws and decrees upon us.