When will the copyright holders want control over our mind’s eye?

I read with interest Crosbie Fitch’s rant: “In respect to the artist - NO PHOTOS”.

With this statement: “anything that is available to the senses of the public visitor is available to be recorded by that visitor,” I got to thinking about how copyright owners will try to control their “property” in the future.

It seems the time isn’t very far away when our senses will be augmented by our machines. What we see and hear will be much better preserved, and available for perfect recall. Will the RIAA claim the privilege and the right to dilute or maybe erase entirely our enhanced memory of a song we hear on the radio? Or control how we communicate so that we don’t share our experiences with others?

Doesn’t that seem awfully creepy? (Assuming you aren’t already creeped out by the idea of microchips and other hardware becoming a part of “you.” And I can’t say that I want to remember everything perfectly. That incident with Michelle Stinson in the seventh grade is best forgotten, or at most hazily remembered.)

We can’t (and shouldn’t) try to control copying of publicly shared^* information. It’s as big of an intrusion now as it would be when we’re more closely integrated with our computers.

* That is, information that was meant to be consumed by the public. Private information that is inappropriately made public shouldn’t be assumed free for all, although of course it’s difficult to put the toothpaste back in the tube.