Public Lecture at The University of Reading - 19/10/04

Dear All,

I will be giving the first Public Lecture of the 04/05 academic year at The
University of Reading on 19th October on a subject that may well be of
interest.

More details at:
http://www.extra.rdg.ac.uk/events/displays/publectur.asp

University of Reading Public Lecture Series
Tuesday 19th October 2004 19:00
Title: Copyright vs Creativity
Speaker: Dr Andrew A. Adams

The original "copyright bargain" was developed in the world of the printing
press to ensure that commercial publishers had an incentive to commission
writers. It was justified as presenting a fair bargain between the creators
and the consumers of artistic and literary works. New technology has
constantly presented challenges to the existing copyright regime, and
particularly to those who grew fat upon the old technology. Mostly the urge
to create new culture from old has overridden the desires of the middlemen
to retain their business model in framing copyright law with respect to new
technology. Recent developments in copyright threaten not only the right to
create but the right to engage with our culture, and in addition to stifle
technological developments. The debate in recent years has been about
ownership and reward. It is time for the debate to move away from concepts
of property and profit and back to the fundamental question of not only
allowing creativity but encouraging creative development of our cultural
heritage. Too much existing work is being lost, and new work being stifled,
just to keep hold of an outdated business model. What was originally
justified as encouraging creativity has become an impediment to it.

-- 
*E-mail*a.a.adams-SsMor1Oo1JZaa/[email protected]********  Dr Andrew A Adams
**snail*23 Ivydene Road************  School of Systems Engineering
***mail*Reading RG30 1HT, UK*******  The University of Reading
****Tel*+44-118-956-0607***********  Reading, United Kingdom