Re: Game theory saved the mainstream

[enilsson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Eric Nilsson)]

In responding to a claim I made (only half seriously) about the increasing
importance of private information, Virendra Singh wrote:

>How about software (or Movies)? There is a real problem in enforcing property
>rights. . .  And I presume we all agree that the software industry
>will play a critical role in the future of the human race.

Very true.  If my idea has any validity (?), perhaps:

1) this trend toward the importance of private information expresses itself
as a tendency, but not in all situations;  (of course, this invoking of
"tendencies" protects a claim from being disproved);

2) it might help explain the rising importance of services relative to
manufactures (as property rights over services is easier to protect than
over products which can be more easily copied).

But perhaps this idea is wrong.

Eric Nilsson
Department of Economics
California State University, San Bernardino
enilsson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
909-880-5564