The NYT reviewed a new book by Jaron Lanier, who we are assured is a very creative person and one of the early pioneers of the web. According to the review, Mr. Lanier is very upset about people getting material at no cost over the web. His preferred solution is harsher punishments for copyright violation.

Of course, another possible direction would be to devise alternative mechanisms for financing creative work. But that would require creativity.

–Dean Baker

Dean Baker is senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington, D.C. He is the author of several books, including Rigged: How Globalization and the Rules of the Modern Economy Were Structured to Make the Rich Richer. Read more about Dean.