Free flow of information?

Hey people. I'm starting this thread in relation to this:
http://dis.4chan.org/read/newpol/1293992141/1-40

 I think the flow of information is a MASSIVE issue that is not beeing discussed enough.

So, do you think the flow of information should be totaly unrestricted? Or do you believe there should be laws that protect people from malicious use.

Personaly I would like to see fully unrestricted flow of information one day, but i think that a sudden change in the way we currently manage it could be catastrophical. I believe an good order of abolishing restrictions would be to

a) abolish all copiright and intelectual property laws.
b) make all bank transactions available online
c) enforce transparency in bussinesses and states by forcing them to release all info they manage - including all their financial info.
d) allow some 20 years for the world to digest itself

Please feel free to attack my point of view and add your own. Scepticism is a bless...

>>23

I see what you're getting at, but at the same time I don't think we can take one case and generalize.  You made your choice.  That doesn't mean that other people would want to make the same choice.  If I make a movie and it costs me $10,000 (pretty cheap for a movie BTW) I would either have to have a large wad of cash to pay back the costs of making the movie, or I'd have to sell the copies.  Nothing prevents me from giving it away, but it would be difficult for me to keep making costly art unless I can somehow recoup my costs.

Some art does lend itself to being free.  Pencil and paper drawings are easy and cheap to make.  Other things aren't that cheap and easy.

>>24

5 years was just a best guess.  I think it should be long enough to cover the cost of production, yet short enough that things become public domain within a reasonable timeframe.  I think that it's rediculous that mickey mouse is still coptrighted after disney died.  It makes no sense.