Re: [OS:N:] Intellectual monopolies and ethics and Muidallap

"Paul D. Fernhout" <[email protected]> wrote:

>>
What you appear to me to be saying here, and I think validly, is that we
currently have a system that has in place certain rules (fair or not for
whoever) and you want to play by those rules (and see others play by
them), and are upset by people who talk about not playing by them. I
think it is a fair comment in this respect.
<<

That's not *really* what I've set out to say, but it's a very reasonable
summary. My concern is not "the rules", though, as much as the basic
underlying ethics: when someone insists that they have a right to my work
for free, they are saying

      that they place no value on it (though why, then, do they want it?)
      (since work is inextricably linked with the notion of self) that they
place no value on me as a person
      that they view me only as a means to satisfy their own needs for
information

and they want to take away my current right to control my own intellectual
products. That's what a world without IP would look like, as far as I can
see.

I'm using the personal pronoun here, because a) it reads better, and b) as
an author, it's hard not to take these things personally. But I want to
emphasise that I'm not whining on my own account; people who glibly (and
I'm specifically excluding you from this, Paul) talk about "society" they
overlook the fact that society is people, and while society will adapt and
change, many of the people within it will suffer massive disruption and
hurt if IP protection is taken away.

>>
Still, many of the rules
have been changed recently (DMCA, NET, Sonny Bono extention, etc.) so
some other people are validly upset that the rules keep changing (and
not in their favor).
<<

These are all US laws, and while some countries will view US law as a
precedent in some areas, many others will not. Lord knows, every time I
read another YRO story on Slashdot, it upsets me, too.

But I don't confuse a flawed implementation - the US legal system - with a
flaw in the underlying algorithm - the ethical concepts which underpin
copyright, registered designs, etc. As I say, let's not throw out the baby
with the bath-water.

Paul, you make a number of other interesting points in your post, and I
would love to have the time right now to discuss this with you; I agree
with much of what you say. You are right to draw attention to the
underlying issues (although I will point out that information already is in
abundance on the Internet). I need to ponder some more on the idea of a
Muidallap. If I get some free time later today . . .

Best,

--- Les Bell, RHCE, CISSP
[http://www.lesbell.com.au]



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