Re: copyright and natural law?

On Sep 16, 1998, Joseph Riolo <riolo[_at_]voicenet.com> wrote:
>
> ...
> From the dawn of history (or world), it is very plain as the sun in
> the blue sky that every individual has the freedom or right to copy
> anything that comes into his or her area or possession. After all,
> in order for the Nature to survive, it must ensure that all living
> things must be able to reproduce themselves. Reproduction cannot
> occur without the means of copying something.
>
> Against this "natural" freedom or right of copying anything, copyright
> is truly very artificial, far from being as plain as the sun in the
> blue sky...

Don't confuse freedom with rights. You have the freedom to do whatever you wish; but you must be prepared to pay the penalty is what you do violates the rights of another. I'm not sure it makes a lot of difference whether the rights are characterized as "natural" or "artificial". If they are rights, they are protectable and enforceable .... and when an absolute freedom meets an enforceable right, as the songwriter says, "somethin's gotta give."

Bob Cumbow
Perkins Coie LLP
cumbr[_at_]perkinscoie.com
206-583-8566 Received on Fri Sep 18 1998 - 15:54:52 GMT