ABSTRACT
Inventions can earn their owners patents, used to protect their investment in research and development and to fend off competitors, though the patent law that has grown around the invention field has drawn plenty of scrutiny from legal commentators and science fiction authors alike. The 1998 law, the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, named after the musician and former Congressman who “wanted the term of copyright to last forever,” has long been criticized and challenged. Copyright law has also developed to protect technological creations that were not possible when they were established in the 18th century. Legal scholars have long recognized that modern technology has caused massive disruption to copyright law, particularly regarding fair use and sharing in the digital age. Paul Ford in “Nanolaw With Daughter” provides another, related possibility for reform, through international agreements and microtransactions.
