Re: UCBerkeley press release about Article 2B

Quoth <rgriffiths[_at_]cix.compulink.co.uk>:
>
> If UCC2B were enacted in all 50 states tomorrow, would our relationship
> to information change *so* dramatically? I think this exalts the
> position of law a trifle -- as ill-conceived as UCC2B is, its effects
> will not be quite as dramatic as all that. Libraries may cease to exist
> in their present form, by the way, whether or not UCC2B passes.

As another furriner, and having been at the EU gathering on "creativity and IP" in Vienna, it seems to me that UCC 2B represents a part of a tendency to sideline Berne in favour of the model "copyright is a property right" (UK Copyright Designs & Patents Act 1988 S1). I haven't yet studied it closely enough to say how significant a part. The theme of US govt. and industry contributions to debates seems to be to argue that authors' rights (Droit d'auteur / Urhebergerecht) should be replaced globally with contract law, based on the conceit of "freely" negotiated contracts between parties of equal power; and specifically on "transferability" of such rights as are negotiated in contract.

At least one of the UCBerkeley crew is of the opinion that "of course they'll want to export this" (from another meeting, under Chatham House Rules :-).

For one set of views on how it may change relationships for writers *within* the USA see http://www.nwu.org/nwu/

Mike Holderness
http://www.poptel.org.uk/nuj/mike
<mch[_at_]cix.compulink.co.uk> Received on Tue Jul 21 1998 - 10:22:29 GMT