Re: [BLUG] Beware Copyright Law (was Transform Ubuntu to OS-X)

On Fri, 5 Jun 2009, Simón Ruiz wrote:

> I think copyright was created as a compromise, that society
> would cede certain "rights" to authors of certain types of
> works (i.e., we'll be willing to enforce already common social
> conventions by law on your behalf) in exchange for the net
> benefit to society of encouraging their increased cultural and
> intellectual output.

That is a nice paraphrase of the General Welfare Clause,
yes.

> It's important, and deliberate, that a person was required to
> seek copyright, that it only covered certain types of work,
> that it was for only 14 years renewable once by a living
> author, and that a copy had to be archived in the library of
> congress, thus ensuring the work's availability to the public.

Item: having to seek created a lot of hardship; and it
wasn't until ca. 1900 that Ainsworth Rand Spofford offered to
accept all deposits for LC. (Before that, they went to all sorts
of places, most of which didn't want them.)

> I feel copyright is now failing at, if not actively working
> against, its original intent.
>
> And it's doing a pretty lousy job at protecting our freedoms and
> justice, too. ;-)
>
> It's *almost* as if money buys you laws in this country.

The DMCA is an abomination imaginable only to
Congressvermin and the bloated plutocrats who buy them.

>>     If they weren't being paid for what they write for their
>> employers, what would they live on?
>
> At the risk of sounding like I'm just looking for ways to be
> contrary (I'm not, I'm just enjoying an interesting
> conversation):
>
> I don't think coders are being paid for a manufactured good,
> code.
>
> They're being paid for their time, for the privilege of having
> all their skills, expertise and experience focused on solving
> your problems.

You might want to read what the Copyright Office has to
say about works made for hire.

> Most code doesn't end up packaged up and sold to anyone.

Of course not. The people/corporations that own it want
it to themselves, to use, not as a product to sell.

--
Beartooth Implacable, Curmudgeonly Codger Learning Linux
On the Internet, you can never tell who is a dog --
supposing you care -- but you can tell who has a mind.