read: Pirate Cinema (4 stars)

Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lively story that puts faces on the debate about copyright and intellectual property right protection.
On the one hand, I liked this story quite a bit. It's got good dollups of technology from the present and ten minutes into the future, along with a healthy dose of present day politics projected ten minutes into the future. I also liked the characters and Cory's writing brings them and the London setting to life.

On the other hand, it all seems a bit contrived. I never quite believed that the hero, Cecil B DeVil, and his companion squatters could be quite as successful as they are described, living on the edges of society. Then again, don't have any direct exposure or experience with such things.

There are long passages of explanations about copyright and intellectual property rights. It's pretty obvious that the author has an axe to grind here and things get a little preachy. Thank goodness that most of this gets broken up with some action or emotion and the the techno-babble is kept within palatable limits.

This is an easy and fun read and will get the reader caring about the characters and thinking about the issues involved.

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