Re: Design principles and ethics

[Bas Wijnen]

On Fri, May 05, 2006 at 07:07:12AM +0200, Pierre THIERRY wrote:
> Scribit Bas Wijnen dies 04/05/2006 hora 21:06:
> > If we implement features which are much more capable of locking users
> > out of their property than current mechanisms, then we will have a
> > very hard time to make sure companies don't use those features.
> 
> But I think we don't have to prevent them using the features. We just
> have to show to the world that doing another way is better.

In some cases this is true.  However, with these features only some people
have to abuse it and lots of people will suffer from it.  And the people who
abuse it will get a lot of monetary profits out of it.  It's an illusion that
we can convince the RIAA/MPAA not to use the features.  And if they do, the
people will have no choice but to use the products including the features.
Well, theoretically they have the choice of not using anything.  But many
people will want something, and there's no real alternative.  It's that or
nothing.

> > So: given the existence of copyright, and the fact that other people
> > (ab)use it, I use copyright to protect against that.
> 
> People couldn't abuse copyright with texts placed in the public domain,
> because it is in the public domain.

Of course they can.  If I publish a book and place it in the public domain,
others may copy it, add or modify it a bit (or not), and use copyright to
protect "their" creation, which mostly consists of my work.

> I don't find your position very consistent. Copyleft is a way of using
> copyright in a very interesting way, but it is using copyright. If you don't
> like copyright, use public domain.

This argument would also mean that anarchists shouldn't vote.  They don't want
elections, so they shouldn't participate in them.  It doesn't work that way:
not participating doesn't make them go away.  Anarchists should vote on
whatever party is closest to their ideals (there might even be an anarchist
party, which will want to get rid of government).

It's the same with copyright.  I would be happy if it didn't exist.  But it
does, and ignoring it doesn't make things better.  I can use it to prevent
some of the damage it does, so I do.

Thanks,
Bas

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