Salon Readers on Copyright Protection and Computers

Submitted by Nick_Carbone on March 19, 2002 - 18:11.

http://www.salon.com/tech/letters/2002/03/19/chained_melodies/index.html

In response to an aritcle by Damien Cave titled "Unchained Melodies" (see previous Kairos News entry), readers of Salon Magazine wrote numerous letters. They offer a range of insight and opinion on copyright, fair use, and the future of the computer desktop.

If you're teaching IP issues, this is a useful link, and the discussion is lively.

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cel4145's picture

Re: Salon Readers on Copyright Protection and Computers

Submitted by cel4145 on March 19, 2002 - 23:33.

Some great insight here (and your basic open source flag waving-*cheer*). My favorite was Carlie J. Coats Jr., Ph.D., who points out the "limited times" clause in the constitution and then says that to satisfy it, the DCMA would have to include two elements:

  • 1) Protection MUST expire upon expiration of copyright; and

  • 2) Protection MUST be forbidden for non-copyright (i.e., public domain) materials.

Of course, these two issues are not even part of the legislation. Personally, I think that if Congress doesn't pass it soon, they'll get the wind taken out of their sails by what happens with Lessig and company in Eldred vs. Ashcroft.