Transparency, communication, sharing, cooperation

In the US, we have libraries that have collected books that anyone can borrow free of charge. They are run from tax money, because having access to information makes us smarter collectively. The next generation library is a Google Books concept. Google tried to do what Government has fallen behind in doing: providing educational resources to its citizens in a new technological era. Why can't I "check out" any book I want to online? The local public libraries are a joke; it is inefficient to wait weeks to borrow a book that could have been scanned and put online in a week's time for multiple users.

We need to stop pretending that the old systems of copyright, etc. work in this era of information sharing. Adapt or die! This applies to music, video, and any informational content that can be posted and shared online. Surely there is a way to support the work of people that contribute to society without extreme protectionism and frivolous lawsuits. We need to stop being greed-focused and start being more collectively-focused if there is to be any progress in these areas.