[Web4lib] Consumer Group Raises Concerns about Google Print Library

[Lars Aronsson]

Bob Rasmussen wrote:

> My initial, gut-level response is: if there were no IP rights, I 
> wouldn't write software. Nor would III or Dynix or Microsoft or 

The term IP (intellectual property) makes an analogy to (physical) 
property, which in itself is a complex concept.  The idea that one 
can "own" things (or music or software) and that this applies 
equally to different kinds of things and situations is an advanced 
abstraction, that actually isn't true, even if we sometimes 
pretend so.  Is it correct that radio stations in the U.S. can 
play recorded music on the air without paying royalties to record 
companies or composers?  This is not the case in Europe.  
Libraries can lend books, but they cannot lend Microsoft Office. 
What you can or cannot do depends very much on the situation.

In one 13th century farming law for eastern Sweden (reprinted in 
1895, http://runeberg.org/oglfreud/0267.html), section 49 (XLIX) 
states what you can and cannot do with your neighbor's harrow.  
You can legally borrow it without asking if you get up earlier 
than him in the morning, provided you return it before sunset.  
But if you break some harrow pins you have to replace them, or pay 
four pennies for each.  So much for property.


-- 
  Lars Aronsson (lars at aronsson.se)
  Aronsson Datateknik - http://aronsson.se