Thursday, September 18, 2008

More nonsense from Mark Day

Now he wants to start charging for ABC podcasts. This is a terrible idea. It inhibits diffusion of taxpayer produced intellectual property, something we all have a right to use. It clearly goes against the spirit of the ABC charter of free, open access, and at a time when the commercial networks are serving us so poorly, the public broadcaster has never been more necessary. I know The Australian is full of free marketeers who think "user pays" trumps all, and that the government has no role to play in the economy, but guys, on a day like today, I would be keeping a low profile.