[WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: [A2k] Re: [Wsis-pct] IP Justice Comment to IGF on Top Policy Issues forAthens

[Taran Rampersad]

Seth Johnson wrote:
> I would oppose anything that speaks of "managing" "rights."
>   

By using a copyright license on something you create, you are 
effectively managing your rights as a creator. The extra step of 
imposing 'copyright protections' is also managing rights. How rights are 
managed is different. You could hire a horde of lawyers, or you could 
try to keep people from copying your stuff. You could stick a dongle in 
a port, you could use software keys... and yes, all of these can, will, 
and will continue to be bypassed. So they aren't so effective.

The problem I have with the GPL draft at this point is that it will give 
creators less options. And to be frank, 30 years ago software isn't the 
issue that it is now. What will fall under copyright under the next 30 
years? Does everyone really think that the human race has nothing beyond 
software, writing, music/podcasts and movies to create?

I think you oppose someone else managing your rights. That's different. 
As a user, I don't like people forcing me to use their creation in a 
certain way. I don't like DVD players that I buy from people who import 
from the Far East not being able to play the movies that I buy from the 
people who import from other parts of the world. To bypass that, there 
are plenty of video stores in Trinidad and Tobago with ripped DVDs. They 
aren't paying the creators. DRM backfired. Kaboom. That doesn't work. 
But with such a small market anyway, multinational corporations don't 
really care too much.

So I exercise choice. As Gandhi said, freedom means nothing if it 
doesn't mean the freedom to make mistakes. I doubt that some caveman 
studied science to create fire - the fire appeared, more than likely, 
and man eventually figured out how to start one. A software license that 
forces different licensing of content is not something I believe is 
sensible, in fact, it's counterproductive.

This isn't just about software anymore with the present GPL v3 Draft. 
This becomes an issue with content, business processes and so on. Let's 
talk about the digital rights related to trade secrets. That would be an 
interesting topic which might shed some light on things.

-- 
Taran Rampersad
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