Fw: [WEB4LIB] Re: Computers in Libraries and the death of copyright

[HTheyer]

> D. Messner said:
> > Law is a matter of enforcement in and of itself. If one makes a law they
> must
> > also make provisions to enforece this law. The law and enforcement are
one
> in
> > the same. If you don't need a law, you don't need enforcement.
> Consequently,
> > if you do need a law, then you need some type of enforcement.
>
> I tell the staff in my branch this all the time.  For every problem they
> want a rule.  "Let's have a rule against skateboards.  Let's have a rule
> against gum.  Let's have a rule against playing cards.  Let's have a rule
> against teasing.  Let's have a rule against ..."  My reply is always,
"Will
> you enforce it? Will you REALLY enforce it?  ALL the time?  For
EVERYONE???"
>
> I think Napster taught us a lesson.  The record label said the technology
> was the problem but that cat is long out of the bag and there are dozens
of
> Napsterclones all over the web now.  Napster was sued because they were
big.
> The clones are not big, so they are still in operation.  When they become
> big, they will get sued, but not until then.
>
>
> > There's no disrespect intended here. But I think ethics and law have
been
> > kept apart for a long time and trying to tie the two together anymore is
> > difficult at best. The DMCAA is highly unethical. Does it protect the
> people?
> > No. It protects mighty multi-billion dollar corporations from some smart
> > person who can see through their codes and encryptions and find flaws or
> > unlawfulness on the part of the manufacturer. Is this ethical? No. Is it
> > legal? Yes, it's 100% legal.
>
> Absolutely correct.  Might makes right, and Law = might.  Ethics simply
does
> not enter into the equation.  As a consumer, we are limited a lot more by
> money than by ethics.  Using CDs and music again as our analogy, why
aren't
> CDs as cheap as cassettes?  They were supposed to be someday, and I read
> somewhere that they are actually cheaper to produce.  It is what the
market
> will bear, and the market is getting sick of it.  Hence Napster.  Hence
Open
> Source.  Hence ... fill in the blank with your choice.
>
> I was helping a parent and high school student use EBSCO in the library,
and
> I pointed out the email feature for full-text articles.  The mom could not
> believe it.  Once she got that the FULL text of the entire article would
be
> sent to her daughter and could be inserted directly into the word
processor
> she asked what was there to prevent the students from plagarism.  I
replied
> the student, the parent, and the teacher, that's who.  She said that
wasn't
> enough.  If that is true, then we have a much bigger problem on our hands,
> don't we?
>
> I wanted to go hear Roy at CIL (I had to choose my conferences, and I
chose
> Internet Librarian in November instead) and I'm sure his speech was
> fascinating.  I'm now really sorry I missed it.
>
> Hillary Theyer
>