When I recently obtained a copy, I was struck by Schmidt’s readiness to say the quiet part out loud. He was articulating an attitude that is common in Silicon Valley but is usually stated as a legal or philosophical argument. When I reached one of Schmidt’s spokespeople, they defended his position by telling me that Schmidt believes that the “fair use” of copyrighted work drives innovation. Others in the industry have cited the techno-libertarian idea that “information wants to be free,” a frequently misunderstood credo that portrays information as a natural resource that should flow without restriction to whoever can use it.