On this site when I talk about the 'color' of bits I mean the type (art, music, text, code) of the digital IP that Independent Innovators distribute.

However, in his post "What Colour are your bits?", Matthew Skala (blog home page) has a very interesting point to make about the 'colour' of bits by which he means the semantic meaning of the bits, e.g. 4' 33" of silence recorded from a null source being different than someone performing 4' 33" of music on a synthesizer with the volume turned down.  The first is just a file full of zeros and the second is a copyrightable performance (which results in the same bits but with different legal implications).

Why am I discussing this here?  Well, one of the challenges faced by Independent Innovators is how to protect their "bag of bits" from being distributed for free.  Matthew's post, and the comments left by his readers, give a good background in the thought process that the legal profession goes through when thinking about digital IP.

How do you protect your IP?  Do you believe in Digital Rights Management (DRM) or do you simply trust your users?  What do you think of "wrappers" that "phone home" periodically to validate your right to keep using the bits?

Leave a comment or send me an email and let me know what you think.