Seat License
Spoofing the ridiculousness of modern copyright and license agreements, Steve Mann has produced an installation-art project called ``SeatSale: License to Sit'' consisting of a chair with metal spikes in it.
By swiping your credit card or driver's license, you may download a ``totally FREE'' license to sit on the chair and the spikes retract for a limited time.
``The text on the scrolling LED sign mounted to the back of the chair reads: WEARY TRAVELLERS NO LONGER NEED TO STAND FOR HOURS ON END... USE YOUR GOVERNMENT ISSUED PHOTO ID CARD TO DOWNLOAD A FREE SEATING LICENSE.''
Part of his justification reads:
``Thus, in the "cyborg" age, what will it mean to patent an algorithm (a process of thoughts), or to copyright some data (e.g. a collection of memories)?''
``Will it mean that... Memorization is copying; copying is theft! Seeing is recording; recording is theft! Learning is downloading; downloading is theft! or that the learner must pay a license fee to the teacher, each time he or she thinks of some patented thoughts or copyrighted memories?''