permaculture

[Thilo Pfennig <tp@alternativ.net>]

On Thu, 2002-03-28 at 23:32, Toby Hemenway wrote:

> gave things value, and thus labor should give ownership. There is vastly
> less labor in copying, linking to web sites, etc than in creation, so under
> our system ability to copy does not confer ownership. To have art,
> literature, data, and music to copy, we have to support those who produce
> it. 

Well, if you take a deeper look it is not the creative producers who
earn most of the money. Look at the music business or publishing
companies. Property enables companies to earn more. Some financial
companies only make money with money. In our society there is much more
what companies owe authors, than what makes up illegal copying. And
banking institutions also take money for copying numbers. They do not
need to transfer real money physically. If we want a sustainable society
we need changes on the right place. How much percent of the volume of
sales do you get from your book from your publishing company? Don't they
just get money for doing the copying job?


> I have a whole raft of anecdotes and experiences that show that ownership is
> still a good (not perfect) solution to insuring that goods and land are
> taken care of (e.g., Jeff's writing seemed to have no owner and was
> subsequently stolen and altered; but if he chooses, the law lets him take
> action to stop this).

We had to define ownership. I live in a house in a city, where we all
lodgers of apartments. But we use our backyard (where we got an
environmental award for by our city council) as it was our own. We do
not need property - no - in some way it stands in the way of progress.
If we would have to asked our property management every time. And it is
more complicated to deal with adjoining premises (they are all owned by
one company which is not very cooperative). I could imagine it would be
a lot easier if all the residents had to (or could) find solutions by
themselves without property managements.

I see good in the feeling of responsibility that sometimes comes with
property. But you could also feel responsible for something you do not
own. Beeing political can mean to feel responsilbe for your community or
your country or whatever.



ciao,

Thilo
-- 
Thilo Pfennig
http://www.alternativ.net/edv/