On 8/18/05, Kurt Sperry <haxixe@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 8/18/05, Brett Horton <bretthorton@thehortoncollection.com> wrote:
> >
> > Perhaps I can impart to the list a brief synopsis of my experience with
>
> > copyright law.... [Legal stuff]
>
>
> Hope this helps.
> >
> > Brett Horton
>
> There is high-minded theory and there is real-world practice in law.
> snip
I agree but the term "high-minded" ought to be reserved for those who dieseminate knowledge and share information with due respect to the rights of artists and writers. Bulgier, Brown, Kohler, and Dale have described their thoughtful approach to this issue.
Since the issue has come up, here's a weigh-in on the proper uses of copywrite: copywrite is important to encourage creativity and production and allow creative people to profit from their efforts, it was never meant to be permanent or even very long lasting. Current copywrite law extends the protected period far beyond what is necessary to protect the rights of creative people and now threatens the appropriate disemination of knowledge and information to society generally--verging on becoming itself a threat to creativity and production.
I certainly understand why certain interests have fought over the years for the extentions to copywrite that are currently in place. Companies like Disney have been on the forefront of this effort and obviously stand to gain a lot from a virtually perpetual copywrite, as do the descendents of long-gone artists and writers.
Even though we can undertand those interests' desires to extend their copywrite profits, that doesn't mean it is right. And it certainly doesn't qualify as "high-minded." Copywrite should protect the profit of artists and writers for a limited period then allow work to pass quickly into the public domain. Allowing copywrite law to be distorted into a perpetual profit protection for companies like Disney or for multiple generations of the descendents of a writer or artist does not protect the artist, does not encourage creativity and production, and stifles a free society.
Mitch "trying to keep copywrite in perspective" Harris Little Rock Canyon, Utah
(P.S. Nothing against Disney--they are just one of the intersts spending a lot on making copywrite as permanent as possible.)