dimanche 6 mai 2007

Should it be possible to copyright an integer?

1) Any electronic file is a stream of bits, 1s and 0s. For example, a 1MB file contains 8,388,608 bits.
2) Every stream of bits is a binary representation of a unique integer. In 1MB, that integer has about 2,525,223 decimal digits.
3) So every electronic file corresponds to a single unique integer.
4) It is, in many cases, illegal to copy and distribute electronic versions of movies, music, software etc.
5) Therefore, it is illegal to copy and distribute certain integers.

Want more ? See : http://qntm.org/number