A couple of days ago, the creator of the most popular torrent sharing site, KickassTorrent, was arrested in Poland, and as of now US is seeking his extradition. After isoHunt’s shut down in Canada, 2013, ThePirateBay’s end in Sweden, 2014… now this. Again.

It makes me sad.

Not just because the reemergence of something forbidden inevitably indicates deeper problems unsolved or untouched. But more importantly because I believe that information should be distributed freely everywhere. National security related information like nukes may be another thing, but charging scientific researchers for seeing papers they need to see? Charging college students extra fat for textbooks they have to buy?

Only earlier today as I was researching on a compression algorithm that I learnt that another newer arithmetic and range coding schemes is mostly avoided by people because of patent issues. Patents on a certain way of solving problems? Really?

That’s just sad.

More awesomeness could have been contributed to making the world a better place, if people who are curious and creative don’t need to avoid using some brilliant algorithms, or double triple quadruple consider before buying a few helpful goddamned books.

Well, if people don’t get paid, what are they going to live on? One might ask.

If they are good enough, people will pay, willingly, unasked. There already exist many working models, including and not limited to:

• For artists, vloggers, bloggers and creators in general: they can get funded on a monthly basis at Patreon. You might have heard of Wait but Why. They’re funded here. They’re helpful and fun enough to be.
• For physical product and sometimes digital content creators: Kickstarters and alike, on a pay in advance model.
• For authors: not mainstream, but I’ve seen quite a few writers willing to sell their books at a “pay what you will” price. And when they’re good, you bet they’re paid a grateful sum.

And they are gaining popularity.

People are perfectly willing to buy copies of books and movies they’ve already read or seen, only to keep a loving record, or pay due respect. If the content is good enough, information helpful enough.

Yet.

In a world where everyone needs to gain medium of exchange to have access to anything they need and want, patents and intellectual property will most definitely be necessary for protecting creators.

Which is the root of all sadness. After all not everyone can be as cool as Elon Musk.