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cc-licenses - Re: [cc-licenses] Subject: Re: Version 3.0 - List Discussion Responses

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Subject: Development of Creative Commons licenses

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  • From: Terry Hancock <hancock AT anansispaceworks.com>
  • To: Discussion on the Creative Commons license drafts <cc-licenses AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [cc-licenses] Subject: Re: Version 3.0 - List Discussion Responses
  • Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:11:34 -0500

Mia Garlick wrote:
this is not a productive line of ongoing discussion.

*Smile* when you try to suppress the democratic process by squashing dissent under the iron boot of the Creative Commons ruling junta. ;-D

Seriously, I think it *is* productive, because I still don't buy your argument.

Part of the problem, of course, is that the DMCA anti-circumvention is *fundamentally* absurd: it's about outlawing wirecutters instead of outlawing fence-cutting. And that's just stupid. But even if you were going to write such a law (ironically, I think we still have a law like that on the books somewhere -- or so various trivia books claim), it will be pretty obvious that there are certain exceptions to it (*I* interpret the clause in question as a codification of those obvious exceptions). Obviously, you needed wire cutters to put the fence up in the first place, as well as to move or cut a fence you have a legitimate right to move.

Clearly, if I then take the same wire cutters and cut my neighbors' fence, I'm going to be in violation -- but that's a different matter.

What we're asking for, essentially, is a license that says "I'll let you use this pasture of mine. I'll even let you put a fence around it. But you have to promise to let anyone cut that fence in order to get to the pasture".

This may make it rather pointless to put a fence up in the first place (good!), but if there's some technical reason why a fence must be put up (e.g. to keep the cows in during normal use, or because there's a county ordinance that says 'all pastures must be fenced'), then he can keep his promises to both me and the county, while still promising the access that I insist on, and not having the cows wander.

This allows pastures to remain free, even in counties where fence ordinances are piling up.

--
Terry Hancock (hancock AT AnansiSpaceworks.com)
Anansi Spaceworks http://www.AnansiSpaceworks.com





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