By Christian Engström Financial TimesIf you search for Elvis Presley in Wikipedia, you will find a lot of text and a few pictures that have been cleared for distribution. But you will find no music and no film clips, due to copyright restrictions. What we think of as our common cultural heritage is not “ours” at all.
On MySpace and YouTube, creative people post audio and video remixes for others to enjoy, until they are replaced by take-down notices handed out by big film and record companies. Technology opens up possibilities; copyright law shuts them down.
This was never the intent. Copyright was meant to encourage culture, not restrict it. This is reason enough for reform. But the current regime has even more damaging effects. In order to uphold copyright laws, governments are beginning to restrict our right to communicate with each other in private, without being monitored. File-sharing occurs whenever one individual sends a file to another. The only way to even try to limit this process is to monitor all communication between ordinary people.
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The writer is the Pirate party’s member of the European parliament
Don't agree. This writer is flat out wrong. For one who's income is 90% from IP, the copyright law is for protecting original work. The author has things confused. It's patents that were mean to encourage diversity in culture. That's why the patent law is only 17 years, whereas the copyright protection is much longer - I think it's up to 50 years or so now. It just doesn't become public domain because someone likes to think so. How many people do you know that have had to duke it out in federal court over a copyright issue? Probably none. I've been there, done that. It's nasty, dirty biz. I prevailed, but at great cost. I had the choice between retaining my rights or losing my business. Ain't that sweet?
ReplyDeleteToday we've got a shitload of people on the internet who feel like "what's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine too." And will steal and post content under the jargon "fair use." That is just plain bullshit. Look how many people right here on COTO who spend their day copying and pasting work from other writers without even bothering to ask for permission. Whereas people like myself who only do original work are so easily dismissed. I've had my work copied without permission, I've been slandered. and plain ripped off. And I am pissed off.
The copyright laws do serve a rightful purpose. But we seem to live in an age now where theft is the norm, and individual rights are neglected. I could go on... but does anyone even give a shit?
I do, Cinder. And I agree with you for the most part. But when it comes to audio and video embedding, I tend to see things a bit different. If a given video is already uploaded to a server and I emulate that by embedding it here, I don't see my actions as in violation. But as an author of an article I worked very hard on (not the case but I can dig it), I would be very upset to see my article stolen. Oh, wait a sec, that actually DID happen to me on my first video clip. Someone did rip it off and it upset me. I kept my mouth shut because I used yet another artists work without permission. Damn, I can't decide on this. I still sympathise with your opinion, Cinder. I guess that's the way I lean on this. Copyleft is the way I would go except when in the bizzness to make money. Then it would surely be copyright and baseball bat for thieves.
ReplyDeleteI'm in favor of copyright protection for items used for commercial purposes. A copy-and-paste to a blog etc that doesn't ask for money doesn't bother me.
ReplyDeleteThe primary message of this article is about surveillance and justification thereof: " The only way to even try to limit this process is to monitor all communication between ordinary people." Read the whole thing for more.
Also The Pirate Party in Europe has a very well defined point of view. I may not entirely agree with it, but I wanted to put it out there.
No need to get nasty Rady. If you don't want me around, I've got plenty of other things to do.
ReplyDeletehmm? i found a segment of a comment I had written as a comment, cut and pasted withour ref in an article, I was pleased someone cared enough to cut and paste, but a nod woulda been nice.
ReplyDeleteI am not famous so I can't say its worth a fuss, no one will profit, and it's all to the good if it gets read, regardless.
just my personal:-)
I am a carpenter and a draftsman and designer, by trade. That is how I make my meager living in this horrible economy.
ReplyDeleteBut I also write a great deal for my own site, and cross post some of it here.
For me, and I can only speak for myself, the moment I hit the publish button I understand, I hope, that others will read what I have written and post it on their site as well.
Articles of mine have been posted on AboveTopSecret, Prison Planet, 911 Blogger, AfterDowningStreet, NYIndypendent, Democratic Underground, and many, many other sites.
The way I look at it, and again this is just my personal opinion, if I care enough about an issue to commit hours (sometimes days) to writing about it, the more people that read it, the better. That's the point of grass-roots "journalism" IMO.
It's not so much that my name is attached to something, as it is that my passion is.
Now I don't want someone making money off my work, but I know that, in the end, it will happen regardless, so really, that's ok. As long as the ideas that I am trying to convey reach more and more people.
I understand Cinderman's point, and I understand Rady's. They are both expressing a valid aspect to this debate.
I suppose it just comes down to what you expect when you press that publish button.
I agree with Scott & Rady. The stuff we're talking about at coto, for the most part, has to do with serious events taking place or about to take place in our country and the world. News pieces. We're not talking about novels and stealing anyone's ideas. That would be wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhat we're doing is posting articles of interest, giving the journalist credit, and going on to discuss the issues they pose. What is wrong with that? No one is plagiarizing anyone's work here. (that I know of) For the most part, we are doing free ad work for the author of the piece.
The internet started out as a place for the free exchange of ideas and I do mean FREE. It should still be that way in my opinion. Instead it's turned into this capitalistic haven where those so inclined can make quick $$$ Not that there is anything wrong with that. This is Amerika. But if we're talking exchanging important information regarding our very survival, to not want the word spread to others all over the net is ludicrous.
Anyone who thinks their work is sacred on the internet, should instead go write a book and get it published.... and I'm not talking ebook. Otherwise be assured your work will be shared freely amongst others.