From: Jim Choate <ravage@EINSTEIN.ssz.com>
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 19:24:51 -0800 (PST)
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Private property & the cypherpunks list(s) (fwd)
Message-ID: <199702150331.VAA07416@einstein>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text



Forwarded message:

> Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 17:39:32 -0800
> From: Toto <toto@sk.sympatico.ca>
> Subject: Re: Private property & the cypherpunks list(s) (fwd)

>   Personally, I try to let people know that they may use even my 
> private email in any manner they see fit. I have no objection to
> even those who disagree with me using it to attack me or misdirect
> others, or whatever.
>   I agree with Jim's 'defacto public domain' idea, as long as it 
> does not conflict with the reality of the need for intellectual
> property rights.
>   e.g. - copyright and patent law

I am not preventing people from retaining their rights. I simply recognize
that there are entirely too many different views of 'fair use' to create a
blanket order. I also recognize that one responsibility in a democracy of
all citizens is the protection of the results of human effort. The best way
to protect and preserve information is to place it in the public domain. Of
course the other option is to sell large 'collections' to groups like
Microsoft who would end up charging you out the ya-ya for looking at 'their'
pretty pictures. Wonder what DaVinci would have thought of the way we treat
HIS paintings? But I digress. Given that people have many highly
individualistic views about copyright of their expression and the need to
preserve that expression we must ask ourselves how? One obvious answer is to
place everything in the public domain, I am shure the information race we
experience now would be nothing compared to that worlds output. However,
this prevents truly gifted individuals from being able to spend the time (eg
lifetimes) needed to truly master some forms of expression. We certainly
don't want to support them on the public dole, so there must be some way for
them to make a living off their work. So we recognize their originality or
inherent worth in their expression. We also recognize that there can't be
complete and total protection because most people would not find a buyer for
their expression simply from lack of knowledge. So, lets find a middle
ground, one where people can tell other people about things they experience
as well as feel secure that their efforts have some inherent worth and also
some failsafe to ensure that as much effort as possible gets archived. So
let's require each person to include their prefered choice of copyright in
their communications, otherwise it falls into the public domain.

The only resolution of this approach is that everyone gets what they want.

Not relevant in this forum, but I also believe that material being held in
copyright should fall into the public domain when the copyright holder dies.

>   If you are having trouble understanding the concept I am dealing
> with, here, then I suggest that you drink a bottle of Scotch and
> read this post again.

That's certainly one way to get in the correct attitude...;)


                                                 Jim Choate
                                                 CyberTects
                                                 ravage@ssz.com