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permaculture - Why have a copyright?

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Subject: permaculture

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  • From: "Akiva" <akivaw@hotmail.com>
  • To: permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Why have a copyright?
  • Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2000 18:09:59 GMT


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on swales so he has no right to "monopolize" permaculture, or: Bill has a lot of great ideas but some of them are "outdated", or: Bill says it's OK because once you get your design certificate, Permaculture is whatever you think it is.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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  • Why have a copyright?, Akiva, 06/06/2000

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