permaculture

[1Earth Permaculture <permaculture@start.com.au>]

April wrote:
>I do want to point out that unless you own the rainbow snake design
you >should take it off immediately, this is copyrighted and the
hassle for us >on the web is that many people steal each others
work...

Toby wrote:
>Scanning the egg and posting it to a website is so easy we forget
we're >stealing from a live person.
>I want to point out ... how technology is making it easy to forget
and >mistreat the humans behind it.

Let's not forget that other great set of laws - defamation of
character, particularly the laws concerning libel (the written form of
defamation).  These laws have already been tested in the USA and
Australia and found valid if the libel occurs on a web list such as
this.

Accusations of "stealing" can be construed to be too strong a
description of what has actually occured, particularly considering:

Darren Doherty wrote:
>I stayed with Bill Mollison for a couple of days last week and on
Friday >he recieved by post the trademark approval for the
Permaculture Egg Logo >which, as I understand it clears that issue
right up - once and for all.

So, from what I read here, the logo has been trademarked for a week.

I have seen the egg logo on many a permaculture website, and on many a
permaculture teacher's course handouts, flyers and business cards.
The Designer's Manual says :"Permaculture ... copyright is vested in
the Permaculture Institutes and their College of Graduates ..."

As a 25 year media veteran, the first thing I checked when commencing
my permaculture website 2 years ago, was the issue of copyright, and I
was told by the PRI head that PDC graduates were able to use the logo
to promote their permaculture work.  My PDC class was told the same
thing, that we were able to use aspects of "permaculture" as long as
we did not copy Bill's work whoelsale.  Obviously Bill's recent press
releases and his trademarking the logo have changed that opinion.

To avoid further accusations of "stealing" the logo, I have linked it
to the Manual, until I design a new front page for the site (which was
badly needed anyway as there are many new web pages coming online this
week).

April wrote:
>It is illegal and unethical to re-present someone else's web pages.
April wrote:
>I think you need a few tips of netiquette ... it is illegal to
re-banner >a web page without permission. 
Rich wrote:
>Just to confirm that Marcus has arranged with us to host the
Australian >mirror of the Plants For A Future database. 

April, obviously our interpretations of netiquette are different.  I
certainly would never accuse anyone of stealing until I knew the
facts. An apology is in order, don't you think?

Marcus

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