Copyright and Marketing
This article argues that copyright hinders the production of creative work. One argument used is that Because copyright rewards more popular works, it provides incentive for massive marketing campaigns, which then drown out the market for less established creators.
Repeal the DMCA
EFF:: "The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) has been wreaking havoc on consumers' fair use rights for the past seven years. Now Congress is considering the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act (DMCRA, HR 1201), a bill that would reform part of the DMCA and formally protect the 'Betamax defense' relied on by so many innovators.
HR 1201 would give citizens the right to circumvent copy-protection measures as long as what they're doing is otherwise legal. For example, it would make sure that when you buy a CD, whether it is copy-protected or not, you can record it onto your computer and move the songs to an MP3 player. It would also protect a computer science professor who needs to bypass copy-protection to evaluate encryption technology. In addition, the bill would codify the Betamax defense, which has been under attack by the entertainment industries in the 'INDUCE Act' and the MGM v. Grokster case. This kind of sanity would be a welcome change to our copyright law."
Have you ever ben playing a DVD, and the previews come on, and you try to fast forard through them, but you can't? This is because the movie companies set certain permissions on the disc, and the law says that the DVD player has to honor them. It is effectively illegal to make a DVD player that fast forwards through these ads.
Under copyright law, you have 'fair use' rights to copy works. for example quoting an excerpt from a book. Most copy-prevention systems ignore this, and because it is illegal to circumvent them, these systems hinder the rights of consumers.
If you've just crawled out from under a rock, you might not be aware of the Sony rootkit fiasco. H.R. 1201 would also force record companies to label CD's that use copy protection.
Finally, H.R.1201 would establish a legal standard that creators of software are not responsible for copyright by it's users. (In the same way the makers of VCR's should not be held responsible for bootleg movies.)
H.R. 1201 is an important reform.
HR 1201 would give citizens the right to circumvent copy-protection measures as long as what they're doing is otherwise legal. For example, it would make sure that when you buy a CD, whether it is copy-protected or not, you can record it onto your computer and move the songs to an MP3 player. It would also protect a computer science professor who needs to bypass copy-protection to evaluate encryption technology. In addition, the bill would codify the Betamax defense, which has been under attack by the entertainment industries in the 'INDUCE Act' and the MGM v. Grokster case. This kind of sanity would be a welcome change to our copyright law."
Have you ever ben playing a DVD, and the previews come on, and you try to fast forard through them, but you can't? This is because the movie companies set certain permissions on the disc, and the law says that the DVD player has to honor them. It is effectively illegal to make a DVD player that fast forwards through these ads.
Under copyright law, you have 'fair use' rights to copy works. for example quoting an excerpt from a book. Most copy-prevention systems ignore this, and because it is illegal to circumvent them, these systems hinder the rights of consumers.
If you've just crawled out from under a rock, you might not be aware of the Sony rootkit fiasco. H.R. 1201 would also force record companies to label CD's that use copy protection.
Finally, H.R.1201 would establish a legal standard that creators of software are not responsible for copyright by it's users. (In the same way the makers of VCR's should not be held responsible for bootleg movies.)
H.R. 1201 is an important reform.
Ask the Pastor
In the interest of fostering widespread moral discussion about the issue of copyright, I have composed a question designed to be posed to christian clergy and pundits. I will be sending it off to various 'Ask the Pastor' sites, and I will post responses. Pass it on, and suggest changes.
Is copyright law biblical? I know that christians should obey the law of the land, and not copy illegally, but should christians be keeping copyrights on things we write or draw or record? I can't find anything in the Bible that says someone can own a book, the text of a book, or that the writer should stop people from copying.
I feel like it would be easier to make money with copyright, but I want to do the right thing. How were writers(scribes?) and musicians paid in biblical times?
And, is it different for a song that was given by God?
Is copyright law biblical? I know that christians should obey the law of the land, and not copy illegally, but should christians be keeping copyrights on things we write or draw or record? I can't find anything in the Bible that says someone can own a book, the text of a book, or that the writer should stop people from copying.
I feel like it would be easier to make money with copyright, but I want to do the right thing. How were writers(scribes?) and musicians paid in biblical times?
And, is it different for a song that was given by God?
Anti-copyright Political Party
In Sweden, a political party has formed to legalize filesharing. Their website is currently only in Swedish.
This article describes their platform:
"the party says that it is against seeing the developing world starve because the developed world refuses to share its intellectual property.
Its massage is that corporations are engaging in racketeering in the developing world and a few power hungry individuals and greedy corporate entities are infringing on privacy and integrity. Piratpartiet says that it will strike out immaterial law, ignore WIPO and WT, and annul any further treaties or policies that hinder the free flow of information. They will refuse to allow data retention nonsense based on terrorism claims or failed RIAA business models.
The new party, wants to break the four per cent barrier (225 000 votes) this autumn to take up seats in parliament."
This article describes their platform:
"the party says that it is against seeing the developing world starve because the developed world refuses to share its intellectual property.
Its massage is that corporations are engaging in racketeering in the developing world and a few power hungry individuals and greedy corporate entities are infringing on privacy and integrity. Piratpartiet says that it will strike out immaterial law, ignore WIPO and WT, and annul any further treaties or policies that hinder the free flow of information. They will refuse to allow data retention nonsense based on terrorism claims or failed RIAA business models.
The new party, wants to break the four per cent barrier (225 000 votes) this autumn to take up seats in parliament."
French Copyright Law Reform
There is a bill in the French parliment that would make filesharing legal. It started as a move to increase penalties for filesharers, but it was amended toinstead create a fee system. Get more information from Google News.
I have mixed feelings on this. It does not end copyright, in fact if it is like other media fee systems, it will in fact victimize users who aren't even using copyrighted material. It could give the recording cartels another unearned income, locked into the rising popularity of P2P software.
I have mixed feelings on this. It does not end copyright, in fact if it is like other media fee systems, it will in fact victimize users who aren't even using copyrighted material. It could give the recording cartels another unearned income, locked into the rising popularity of P2P software.
