Obviously nobody has heard of "Forever 21." The fashion industry's biggest problem right now is IP theft -- you talk to any of the young, creative designers that are moving things forward, and they will tell you about how all of their designs are being ripped off by mall stores.

The Slashdot crowd may find this hard to believe, but you should be glad that the megacorps in our industry work to protect the IP of the industry's creative people. Fashion is a perfect example of the corporate machine deciding that theft is a better business plan ... Perhaps the exact opposite of a "model for IP reform"!

Citigroup didn't buy the highway operator - it was Citi Infrastructure Partners. This is a fund that is probably comprised of high net worth individuals, pensions, and other large investors from all over the world. This is also entirely separate from Citi as a bank; if Citigroup were to be deemed insolvent, and have its assets sold, Citi Infrastructure Partners would simply detach itself from the parent (this is currently happening with Lehman Brothers' various funds - if anyone wants a VC fund, it's currently up for grabs).

Where'd you read this info, by the way? I'd be interested to know if there's a news source that provided you with this incorrect analysis. There are a lot of reasons to hate these banks - and Citigroup is one of the worst of them - but that isn't the case here.

You know, I didn't even think about this. Excellent point ... I wonder, however, if the bureaucracy involved in obtaining a grant offsets any gains created by it; also, one has to wonder how much of these licensing programs are set up to benefit large record labels above all others. Perhaps a much simpler, pan-European system that is a bit more fair would offer greater incentives for artists, even though a small minority would lose access to grants? Hmm.

Needs more research before any real answer can be determined ...