Posner Advises Press to Commit Business Suicide

(MoneyWatch)  When it comes to those advising the terrified newspaper industry how to survive, there's been the dumb and then the dumber.

Now, we officially have heard from The Dumbest Person in The World, although in conventional circles he's considered one of the most brilliant. Chicago-based U.S. Appeals Court Judge Richard Posner, who very occasionally blogs about the newspaper industry has posted this startling proposal:
"Expanding copyright law to bar online access to copyrighted materials without the copyright holder's consent, or to bar linking to or paraphrasing copyrighted materials without the copyright holder's consent, might be necessary to keep free riding on content financed by online newspapers from so impairing the incentive to create costly news-gathering operations that news services like Reuters and the Associated Press would become the only professional, nongovernmental sources of news and opinion."

Expand copyright law to ban links? Are you freaking kidding me?

Now, I know that Judge Posner is considered a very smart man in his chosen field of jurisprudence, and that he is allegedly one of the most respected judges in the land. But with all due respect, good sir, please go back into your courtroom and do what you do best. That, or do a little homework, I think they call it research in your field (and in ours).

To any newspaper industry execs reading this post, if you wish to follow the good judge's hare-brained advice and pursue an expansion of copyright law, you might consider an overdose of sleeping pills instead. It should be a whole lot less painful.

Or, you could just publish all of your content the way Judge Posner does -- without any links whatsoever. I suppose if you are that much smarter than everyone else, interactivity is of no interest whatsoever, so you just issue your opinions for the masses to accept, and move on.

Geesh. Anyone know where I can get a neck massage?