From the days of Napster to the current debate about training generative artificial intelligences, we've heard the echo of the same conversation. Time and again, technology advances by opening channels for information to flow, while our ownership models attempt, unsuccessfully, to fence the sea. This recurring tension invites us to pose a deeper question: what if the conversation about intellectual property was never about protecting creators? What if it has been a mechanism to direct the flo...

From the days of Napster to the current debate about training generative artificial intelligences, we've heard the echo of the same conversation. Time and again, technology advances by opening channels for information to flow, while our ownership models attempt, unsuccessfully, to fence the sea. This recurring tension invites us to pose a deeper question: what if the conversation about intellectual property was never about protecting creators? What if it has been a mechanism to direct the flo...