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cc-licenses - Re: Van Helsing and the Public Domain

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Subject: Development of Creative Commons licenses

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  • From: Mark Carter <mark AT markcarter.info>
  • To: Discussion on the Creative Commons license drafts <cc-licenses AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: Van Helsing and the Public Domain
  • Date: Thu, 13 May 2004 00:54:16 -0400

Hi Greg.

I never said authors don't own their works.

I simply said that it's not a natural right,
its a legally created concept, allowed by


I think the best illustration that copyright is a natural right is simply that if I write some awe-inspiring enlightening book, it's entirely up to me whether I will then disseminate that book to the masses, or smile with satisfaction and, in the spirit of impermanence, throw it in the fireplace.

Any idea that I have any less right to that level of control over the work is simply a result of the unrelenting onslaught of technology. A few hundred years ago, if I were to "publish" the aforementioned book, I would very likely be able to personally keep track of each and every person who owned a copy. Copying was by no means trivial. Today, it is. My natural rights have been circumvented by technology.

Mark





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