Statistical Analysis of Copyright Registrations

linuxizer writes "I've been poking around in Penn's Library for most of my Freshman year, looking up copyright statistics. What I found is basically what many suspected all along: extending and strengthening copyright terms has little effect on actual innovation. Perhaps most fascinating is the strong 40-year upward trend in registrations which is sharply broken in 1991 with a precipitous decline. Also included are some interesting observations about the RIAA's data. The numerous graphics should be well-enough explained that you don't need to go to the data files, but they are included if needed."

Comments

Jeez

[The Bungi]

linuxizer writes "I've been poking around in Penn's Library for most of my Freshman year, looking up copyright statistics.

By $DEITY man! Get out, get drunk, get laid! There'll be plenty of time to poke around libraries when you're 40!

Re:Jeez

[Molina the Bofh]

I've been poking around in Slashdot's archives, looking up nerd behavior. What I found is basically what many suspected all along: The age has little effect on the chances of nerds getting laid. Perhaps it's because 80% of the nerds don't get laid at all. So it doesn't matter if the nerd in questions is 16, 25, or 65. His chances are equally null.

Most of your freshman year?

[ajlitt]

There's something wrong with you if most of your freshman year of college is spent looking up copyright statistics.

Re:Most of your freshman year?

[Anonymous Coward]

There's something wrong with you if most of your freshman year of college is spent looking up copyright statistics.

My freshman year was highly spent looking up statistics:

for example,
Milwaukee's Best Ice Light: 5.1% alcohol, $3.99
Natural Light Ice: 5.4% alcohol, $4.29.

I could never decide which was the better deal, but I preferred the Beast's taste and I was most like to have 4 $1 dollar bills, as opposed to 4 $1 bills and random change, so my scientific analysis dictated the Beast Ice.

Re:Most of your freshman year?

[Anonymous Coward]

come on, he's a Slashdot reader. There's nothing wrong with spending hours and hours on Stats (nevermind spending countless hours bothering the prof in office-hours and appointments).

What would you suggest he do? Join a frat, drink a ton of beer, see how many STDs he can get, fail out of classes, go home and live with his parents?

What will that do for him? Give him more time to spend on /. but only with nothing to contribute!

This is have funny and have insightful (for those moderators that are clueless).

Re:Most of your freshman year?

[glaHHg]

Party!

Re:Most of your freshman year?

[tfoss]

I preferred the Beast's taste

Now, I'm pretty sure I've never heard that statement uttered, even in the most drunken stupor known to college students on spring break in panama city.

-Ted

zinger time

[Savatte]

"I've been poking around in Penn's Library"

I thought the only one who did that was Teller.

Thank you, I'll be here until I get booed off stage.

Re:Um

[KillerHamster]

Liar. 78% are false.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Obligatory Homer

[umrgregg]

Kent: Mr. Simpson, how do you respond to the charges that petty vandalism such as graffiti is down eighty percent, while heavy sack-beatings are up a shocking nine hundred percent?

Homer: Aw, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forfty percent of all people know that.

-- Effective interview responses, "Homer the Vigilante"

Re:Statistics of Statistics Sites

[Jad LaFields]

You mean he must be on IE.

Although I am as well (work-mandated) and never saw any spyware or gator installs that ppl are talking about... just popups...

Re:Lose IE

[ScuzzMonkey]

Oh, stop gloating... there are many of us sitting here, wasting our corporations' valuable time and bandwidth surfing Slashdot, who don't have the freaking option to install or use anything other than IE.

I mean, seriously, are you suggesting that we actually get work done and do our surfing at home? Please!

Get wasted and laid IN the library!

[swb]

Walter Library at my alma mater, the University of Minnesota, was a big old, unrenovated building with a huge "stacks" area in the back where many of the books were. These stacks were a series of floors of about 7' in height filled with bookshelves and small, out-of-the-way study areas.

The stacks weren't well-traveled and you could get yourself into some nooks and crannies where you could hang out and not see a soul for hours (or even days I'd wager).

Well, needless to say, it was trivial to bring booze into the stacks for a little post-study cocktail, and since the windows actually opened, even a few pulls from a pinch-hitter was pretty easily done as well. My girlfriend and I even discovered that even a quickie wasn't out of the question they were so abandoned.

So not only can you enjoy the library, you can enjoy some of college life's distractions *in* the library!