permaculture

["Graham Burnett" <gburnett@unisonfree.net>]

A couple of further thoughts on Anti-copyright, freeware, etc,

For a long time I used to put out booklets, tapes (eg, of punk bands I was 
in, etc) and so on as
'Anti-copyright', as did alot of other people around the Anarchist scene in 
an attempt to
diseminate knowledge, music etc, freely and outside of the arena of the 
capitalist marketplace
(beyond of course the need to pay for media, ie, printing, blank tape costs, 
etc)- it then occured
that somebody else could in fact copyright MY images, lyrics, articles, etc, 
use them for profit
making purposes and prevent ME from using or diseminating them, they could 
also be distorted to
promote things I don't believe in or support, eg, my artwork might be used by 
a fascist
organisation, or Monsanto or something (unlikely, but y'never know!).

so now i do copyright my publications etc for reasons of protection- I think 
the case i used
yesterday of Gummer trying through the UK courts to redefine Permaculture was 
a good example- if
Bill Mollison had declared the term 'Anti Copyright' he wouldn't have had a 
leg to stand on!

I'm usually pretty happy for people to use my graphics, etc in their 
publications, though like
anyone I appreciate a credit (i was pretty chuffed to see alot of the stuff 
in the RTS/Guerrilla
Gardening literature was from an article I'd written for Green Anarchist 
Magazine over 10 years
ago, but in this case pretty pleased that i didn't get a credit!!!)... i'd 
imagine
Mollison/Holmgren are much the same, happy for people to use their 
stuff/build on & develop their
ideas, even happier to get a credit, happier still to make some money, but 
not so happy when
people, organisations or governments try to actually alter the basic precepts 
and underlying
philosophy & definition of the body of thought they have founded...

Does this sound reasonable?

Cheers,

Graham Burnett
35 Rayleigh Avenue
Westcliff On Sea
Essex, UK
SS0 7DS

South East Essex LETS
http://pages.unisonfree.net/gburnett/


> When it comes to copyright -- how many others have come across the concept
> of 'freeware'. As in "This is published as freeware. You are welcome to
> copy it for private or non-profit circulation, provided that: you credit me
> as author, you reproduce it accurately and without distortion, and you send
> me a copy." I came across this through the science fiction fanzine network,
> circulated by a chap called Don Fitch. It seems an, err, permacultural
> approach to informal information.
>