Chinese Smart

Chinese Smart Car Copy May Hit European Markets Soon | Business | Deutsche Welle | 16.10.2006
Last month, 13 million illegal videos and CDs were destroyed in China as a symbolic rejection of copyright violation. But now it seems that copying has been taken to the next level. A duplicate version of the Smart fortwo has been produced by the Chinese company CMEC in the city of Suzhou and has already appeared in Hungary and Great Britain. Starting in 2007, it is to be sold for $5,250 under the name City Smart.

Copyright is a culture-specific concept. And it is not a concept that much of Asia shares with the West. If someone had a great idea, you copy it. That is how one learns after all. What will be interesting to watch is what is bound to happen eventually – when a Chinese company builds an original car (furniture, computer or popsong) that is so popular world-wide that, say, a company in Africa copies it… will China allow the copying then?

HERE is a link to the history of copyright law, which started with the Statue of Anne in Britain 300 years ago.

Controlled Chaos

More on traffic:

Controlled Chaos: European Cities Do Away with Traffic Signs – International – SPIEGEL ONLINE – News
The new traffic model’s advocates believe the only way out of this vicious circle is to give drivers more liberty and encourage them to take responsibility for themselves. They demand streets like those during the Middle Ages, when horse-drawn chariots, handcarts and people scurried about in a completely unregulated fashion. The new model’s proponents envision today’s drivers and pedestrians blending into a colorful and peaceful traffic stream.

It may sound like chaos, but it’s only the lesson drawn from one of the insights of traffic psychology: Drivers will force the accelerator down ruthlessly only in situations where everything has been fully regulated. Where the situation is unclear, they’re forced to drive more carefully and cautiously.
(Via Vedana)

Very cool. Too often we hide behind the anonimity of rules, we become remote, removed… Having to look another driver/walker/rider in the eye to decide the next move would be excellent. Also see this entry.

ListeningLounge

Two additional Transit2 tracks, not found on the CD and only available via download. Excellent stuff. By the way, Cabin
Fever
was done on Jon’s laptop in a hotel room in Santa Barbara this past Summer.