Discussion of all things related to Public Domain

[Anatoly Volynets <anatoly AT total-knowledge.com>]

On Thursday 02 May 2002 08:27 pm, Alex wrote:
> Ah, and here's were we start getting into the muddy waters of why
> copyrights came into fashion in the first place. If the original author(s)
> of 1001 Arabian Nights could have copyrighted their works, Disney couldn't
> have made (alas, are STILL making) a gazillion bucks on Alladin's tale,
> while they (or their descendants) make no money and live in relative
> anonymity. Although copyrights are damaging to the creative process of
> those not holding said copyrights, they do help to keep the copyright
> holders from gettting totally screwed by companies that would abuse the
> spirit of their creations.

Some may abuse, some may not, it is not a meaningfull argument here. Suppose 
someone wants mock Disney's Alladin. I don't mind.

 "In a perfect world..." people would be
> honorable, and not abuse creative people's inate generosity.

In fact you cannot determine this at all. You may respect someone's idea and 
work and find out that the author thinks you are completelly wrong. This is 
very casual situation in the world of art and science. It is just normal, 
because real creators takes their ideas and works very personally and are 
very jelous about them.

>However, as
> long as we have the RIAA, Disney, Microsoft and other assimilators who take
> credit and money for other people's work, it's either resort to the
> protection copyrights afford, or resign yourself to the fact that you're
> about to be majorly abused.

Just remove 'However' and you are perfectly right.

>
> We need to get rid of people who would rape and pillage our knowledge and
> creations, and the issue of copyrights would go away on its own. And THAT
> would be a perfect world...

>
> Alex Heizer

"Get rid of people" doesn't sound, does it? Think opposite: get rid of 
copyright (which is normal task in terms of law) and enjoy wide access to 
works of art, their derivatives and copies of any kind, whoever makes them.

Anatoly