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Re: [cc-licenses] parallel distribution, closed technologies and freedom
- From: "Benj. Mako Hill" <mako AT atdot.cc>
- To: Alek Tarkowski <alek.tarkowski AT creativecommons.pl>
- Cc: Discussion on the Creative Commons license drafts <cc-licenses AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [cc-licenses] parallel distribution, closed technologies and freedom
- Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2006 14:27:01 -0500
<quote who="Alek Tarkowski" date="Mon, Dec 04, 2006 at 11:56:05AM +0100">
> I don't think it makes sense to ask people for comments on your wiki
> if you don't plan to respond to them and prefer to talk on the
> mailing list. So I'm reposting my comment here:
I have responded to several other comments on that wiki page. I
thought my response to another comment had also answered your
question. I apologize if you feel that it did not.
>
> I have a rather "theoretical" comment regarding your position
> paper. You write:
>
> "PlayStations <http://wiki.mako.cc/PlayStations>, like cell phones
> and many other consumer technologies, are inherently and
> intentionally [...] less empowering than other technologies. It is
> silly to consider banning the distribution of CC-licensed works to
> devices that are unable to take full advantage of the freedoms to
> modify and redistribute under CC licenses"
>
> I find this confusing in light of your freedom-based critique of
> some of the CC licenses. It seems that while you are against legal
> limitations to user freedom, you support technical limitiations to
> user freedom.
I don't *support* technological limitations. In fact, you can see
that I've spent a lot of time working on projects like OLPC
specifically because I think they help address important imbalances
in access to more flexible and empowering information technologies:
http://mako.cc/copyrighteous/freesoftware/20051215-00
> Shouldn't a freedom-based position be critical also of technologies
> that make content un-free?
In fact, I am extremely critical of technologies that make content
non-free. I have been at least as active in opposing DRM as any of the
opponents of parallel distribution through Defective by Design,
through iRony, a RockBox installer I wrote, and through organized
anti-DRM install parties. It's unfair to conflate advocacy of
parallel distribution with support for DRM. I will support DRM only in
situations where users have a non-DRMed version and where I feel that
the important negative effects of DRM are totally mitigated.
I think that the benefits and freedoms that parallel distribution
gives users (e.g., the ability to copy, redistribute, remix the
parallel copy on any non-DRM platform) outweighs the benefits to the
institution of DRM introduced by the ability of the same work play on
a device like a PlayStation. Others have disagreed with me.
Regards,
Mako
--
Benjamin Mako Hill
mako AT atdot.cc
http://mako.cc/
Creativity can be a social contribution, but only in so
far as society is free to use the results. --RMS
-
[cc-licenses] parallel distribution, closed technologies and freedom,
Alek Tarkowski, 12/04/2006
-
Re: [cc-licenses] parallel distribution, closed technologies and freedom,
Benj. Mako Hill, 12/04/2006
- Re: [cc-licenses] parallel distribution, closed technologies and freedom, drew Roberts, 12/04/2006
-
Re: [cc-licenses] parallel distribution, closed technologies and freedom,
Benj. Mako Hill, 12/04/2006
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