Re: copyright under stress

On Fri, Jun 09, 2000, Jeremy G. Byrne <jeremy[_at_]iz.org> wrote:
>
> On 06/06/2000, Don Roemer <droe2[_at_]earthlink.net> wrote:
> >
> > I find it difficult to follow your post. How does copyright
> > restrict my access to information?
>
> Oh, please. You're just jerking me around, yeah?
>
> Copyright produces artificial scarcity in order to manufacture
> "value" in information. It sets economic barriers in the way of
> access to the information which in turn give rise to geographic
> and even cryptographic barriers, all of which restrict your and
> my access.

Unfortunately, Jeremy, you have not found the correct cause. Copyright, right or wrong, does not cause things like cryptographic protection. It is people wishing to limit access to their information which create both.

You can eliminate copyright, but you can't make people share, in the sense that without imposing a totalitarian regime (which, in retrospect, may be what you are advocating), it is impossible to keep people from attempting to keep private and limited that which they wish to keep private and limited.

-David

David Hale
<dhale[_at_]aggt.com> Received on Mon Jun 12 2000 - 13:03:08 GMT