permaculture

["Akiva" <akivaw@hotmail.com>]

Lee,
you have hit the nail on the head. copyrighted permaculture's rightful 
parameters include the standard concepts shared within a two-week design 
course and thereafter represented as Permaculture for the purpose of 
professional practice. As long as people demand and accept the "real deal", 
this is the what they will receive and what deserves protection through 
"our" copyright.

Beyond that, anyone may use techniques or freely communicate ideas which may 
have some connection with permaculture, as long as they do not represent it 
as the "real deal" without satisfying the stipulations outlined in the 
copyright. Of course, any good design practice is at risk of being 
misinterpreted or misrepresented as it becomes popular. That is why 
protection of the genuine, core concepts is so crucial. Those who truly want 
to learn the real deal will eventually wind up participating in an 
accredited course, and thereby gain satisfaction in alignment with all other 
accredited permaculturalists.

The only real threat to permaculture are those who are not accredited or 
teach unaccredited concepts as genuine Permaculture. In these cases, 
protection of permaculture's integrity is warranted, and that's the true 
benefit of a copyright which assures successful protection.

This is my understanding, and will consider other viewpoints as well.
Akiva



> From: "Lee Flier" <lflier@mindspring.com>

> Specifics will be different according to the locality and lots of other 
> factors, but Permaculture as a *system* and a teaching curriculum is, the 
> way I understand it, what Bill has copyrighted.  IMO this is a terrific 
> idea because it allows for nearly infinite growth and contributions from 
> everyone involved - BUT it still places a burden on teachers to maintain 
> consistency in the basic principles.  Obviously, a lot of people don't do 
> that, and they think that's OK for whatever reason - like: Bill has no 
> monopoly on swales so he has no right to "monopolize" permaculture, or: 
> Bill has a lot of great ideas but some of them are "outdated", or: Bill 
> says it's OK because once you get your design certificate, Permaculture is 
> whatever you think it is.  Sorry, but it ain't.
>
> --Lee

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