No grand sweeping historical concepts today, as I prepare to leave the frozen mid-Atlantic for warmer climates and a speaking gig at the Orlando Money Show. But I do have a few interesting tidbits on a common theme: The costs of proliferating intellectual property.

Steve Jobs thinks that it would be so cool if everyone just gave it away. But he sure doesn't plan on being the first to do so. He has countered criticism that Apple's (AAPL:NASDAQ GS) iTunes unfairly restricts playback options only to its own iPod devices by suggesting that he'll yield control if and when Universal, Sony BMG, Warner and EMI (who between them control over 70% of the world's music) give it to him for free.

And speaking of iTunes, Apple claims that Vista installers are in for a shock. Apparently this first iteration of Vista is “accidentally” incompatible with iTunes for PC, which could cause folks to lose their sizable and costly song and video collections. The timing here is curious, what with Microsoft's (MSFT:NYSE) own (equally restrictive) Zune media player coming out any minute now.

Next up, both Amazon and Wal-Mart want to get deeper into your online “experience.” Amazon is partnering up with TiVo to allow you to download a limited selection of movies from Amazon's site to TiVo's set-top boxes. And much like both iTunes and Zune, the system would also not be cross compatible with other intellectual property sources.

And Wal-Mart is making a move into the online movie download market by launching a beta version of its online video store that will sell digital versions of about 3,000 films and television episodes. This is actually the Colossus of Bentonville's second foray into video rental: last time around it gave in to Netflix.

Country singer Keith Urban has decided that he is no longer a mortal human but rather a living icon. As such, he is suing a New Jersey painter by the same name, claiming the painter's use of the domain Keithurban.com is “misleading federal trademark infringement, dilution of a federally registered trademark, federal unfair competition and violation of the anti-cybersquatting consumer protection act and the Tennessee consumer protection act.”

Doesn't look to me like love and peace let alone “interoperability” are going to be the name of the game anytime soon.

And finally, a quick note for all you plugged-in types: New York City is proposing to make the use of iPods, Zunes, and even cell phones illegal…

While crossing the street… On foot...

You've been warned.