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

[Lori Bowen Ayre]

I think it is safe to say that NO ONE on this list is suggesting that it is
okay to steal anyone's music, publication, article...or copyrighted
ANYTHING.  Perhaps everyone could approach this discussion with that
understanding.  Then we could reduce the number of moral tirades that
provoke a understandably defensive reaction on the part of the accused.
This is an important topic full of technological and moral dimensions.  But
I'm pretty sure there is widespread agreement that copyright laws serve a
useful purpose and as long as they exist should be respected.  Am I wrong?
Anyone out there PRO-stealing copyrighted material?

The debate should really be about implementation, given the state of
technology.  If everyone agrees that people should be compensated for their
effort, largely because that is part of the incentive for creating new
things, then how can we marry the current ability to access and copy things
with this desire to provide some compensation to the creator?  The old
copyright rules aren't clearly defined for the current technological
landscape.  However, the spirit of copyright is still alive, which is why
Napster was reined in.

We learn from the Napster situation both about a fantastic tool for sharing
information and about the limits of using that technology legally.  This is
the same process that has been repeated over and over again over time.
Think about the issues surrounding the copy machine, tape recorders, VCRs,
etc.  Once again, the law must be interpreted for the technological
state-of-the-art.  It's a balancing act that is under constant tension.  At
least we hope so, because the only time we get relief from that tension is
when the elements being balanced are gone.  We *want* people to keep
creating and we want to keep discovering new ways of accessing and sharing
those creations....don't we?

-Lori Ayre



-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of Dan Marmion
Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2001 9:00 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Re: Computers in Libraries and the death of copyright


Maybe I'm missing something here: You're saying that it's all right to
pirate (steal) someone's music because you think the legitimate owners
charge more than they should?  I don't like the way my local cable company
keeps raising my rates, so is it okay for me to illegally tap into their
signal?

Dan Marmion

Daniel Messer wrote:
>

[big snip]

>
> As I recall, it costs less than fifty cents to produce a single CD. Think
> about it, I can do gown to Office Depot and get a spindle of 50 blank CDs
for
> US$35.00 or so. That's less than a buck a disk! So I really question why I
> should be paying US$14 - US$15 for something that costs much less to
produce?
> I don't blame pirates at all, if for no other reason than they don't like
> being taken for a ride.
>

--
Daniel Keith Marmion           email: dmarmion at nd.edu
Associate Director for Information Systems and Access
University of Notre Dame Libraries  http://lib.nd.edu
221 Hesburgh Library, Notre Dame, Indiana  46556-5629
voice: (219) 631-3811             fax: (219) 631-6772
Editor: _Information Technology and Libraries_ (LITA)

           "It's all about access"