Derek Khanna, the author of the important policy brief on the excesses of copyright law, has been fired by the Republican Study Committee. The brief, which the RSC pulled from their website, is here. From the Examiner:
The staffer who wrote the memo, an ambitious 24-year-old named Derek Khanna, was fired — even before the RSC had decided on other staffing changes for the upcoming Congress. The copyright memo was a main reason.
Rising star Derek Khanna wrote a heralded paper on intellectual property rights for the House Republican Study Committee that was withdrawn by higher-ups in the party, presumably because it differed from the usual lobbyist-driven position.
Brooks continued:
Since Nov. 6, the G.O.P. has experienced an epidemic of open-mindedness. The party may evolve quickly. If so, it’ll be powerfully influenced by people with names like Reihan, Ramesh, Yuval and Derek Khanna.
READER COMMENTS
Matt H.
Dec 6 2012 at 4:58pm
I knew that the progressive movement had sold their souls, lock, stock and barrel to big copyright special interests. I was kind of hoping that American conservatism would be able to resist.
egd
Dec 6 2012 at 5:31pm
I find it unlikely that someone was fired simply for writing a brief.
Likely he was fired for writing a brief differing from the party platform without discussing it with the party first. Or maybe just for releasing it before the issue had been wholly considered.
Steve Sailer
Dec 7 2012 at 10:08pm
With all that support Hollywood gave the GOP in the recent election, it’s not wonder the Republicans have the media’s back.
Mark M
Dec 8 2012 at 1:28am
RNC emailed for a donation this past week, hahahaha. They should ask Hollywood,
Mike W
Dec 8 2012 at 10:52am
While Khanna’s piece seems to make some valid points about the excesses in enforcement of the current copyright law I suspect the RSC pulled the piece due to quality concerns. It reads like an undergraduate essay.
Is a good example that the law harms innovation and the consumer that we don’t have a “robust DJ/Remix industry”? Or, that it is “discouraging added-value industries” like “thousands of fan generated content analyzing Star Wars”?
ThaomasH
Dec 11 2012 at 8:23pm
“I knew that the progressive movement had sold their souls, lock, stock and barrel to big copyright special interests. I was kind of hoping that American conservatism would be able to resist.”
Yglesias is consistent in opposing copyright excesses; I have not heard any other progressive support them. I thought copyright reform was one of those issues (like abolishing ethanol subsidies) that all sensible people — and no politicians support.
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