Law professor Lawrence Lessig, creator of the Creative Commons, did the final keynote at ETech 2005. The hall was packed for the 8.30am start, and his speech was terrific. The best approach would be to download an audio version, though you'll miss the visuals.
Lessig's message was short and to the point. He argued that people have always remixed their culture, by talking about it, quoting it, and reworking it. ("Remix" was the ostensible theme of this year's ETech.) Historically this has not been much of a problem in a culture based on language. However, today's culture is increasingly based on digital content, including movies and music, and these traditional approaches are now illegal.
"When the tools change, do the freedoms change as well?" asked Lessig.
Hollywood is lobbying to "blind the technology to conform to 18th century law", rather than allow us to reform the law.
In a conversation with Cory Doctorow, Lessig also commented on the EU's attempt to introduce software patents. He described it as "taxing your own innovators to protect foreign competition. They're shooting themselves in the foot."
