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Talk6 min

Ethical dilemma: Should knowledge be free?

Michael Vazquez and Will Kanwischer · TED

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About

In the city of Ockham, spellcasters invent incantations and publish them in scrolls that others can purchase. Unfortunately, you can’t always afford them. But one day, a friend tells you he uses an illegal duplication spell to copy scrolls. So, do you use his counterfeit scrolls to further your own research? Michael Vazquez and Will Kanwischer explore the ethics of intellectual property rights. [Directed by Patrick Smith, narrated by Adrian Dannatt, music by Stephen LaRosa].

The talk

  1. Ethical dilemma: Should knowledge be free? 6 min · TED's player

Credits and licence

Institution
TED
Department
TED-Ed
Speaker
Michael Vazquez and Will Kanwischer
Year
2025
Level
For everyone
Language
English
Subjects
Philosophy, Teaching and learning
Source
TED
Licence
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, as TED states it. Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions. TED's terms
Attribution
TED Talks are licensed by TED under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International and are shown here in TED's own player, as TED's usage policy asks.
Who can watch
TED gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Teens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed