Originally posted by boccaccio2000g
I strongly disagree with this paragraph. If I write something or invent something I don't want some rip-off artist using my idea to line his pockets -- at least not without my permission. It is true that there have been some inordinately long copyright extensions in recent years as a result of corporate interests. Disney, in particular, freaked out at the prospect of losing control of the image of a certain M. Mouse. I support reducing the length of copyright protection in some cases. But if you make it difficult or impossible for artists and inventors to profit from their work, you will stifle creativity as surely as censorship does.

I went to a pre-opening screening of a new film recently, and the ushers searched my guest's handbag for a recording device -- that's how seriously Hollywood takes the rip-off artists who surreptitiously record new films and are selling pirate DVD's on the street before the film has been out a week.

GB


I disagree with it, too. I don't want anyone profitting from my work, unless I am drawing a check from their benefit.

I don't know why a reference source would have such an opinionated paragraph inserted into their definition. I almost removed it because it really doesn't fit with the "reference" attitude of the rest of the legal definition, but I didn't want to cut out parts just because I didn't like what they said.

I think what the author was trying to instill in his opinion was that, if people would worry less about their money and more about a sense of co-operation, then science and society could progress forward more rapidly. I believe his opinionated paragraph was in reference to the earlier paragraph on technology and computers.

I certainly wouldn't want copyright laws to not protect works of art, literature, film or music, because a lot of artists put a lot of themselves and a lot of their energies and their imagination into bringing these forms of expression out of themselves. My wife, for instance, has spent the last couple of years writing a novel that she sincerely hopes to get published. She has released some of the chapters over the internet for readers and other authors to critique. That does not mean she wants someone to steal it, finish it in their own way and publish it out from under her. She just wants peoples' opinions on her work.

Although, I'm sure that 90% of the people here have some kind of file sharing client on their hard drives and use it daily to violate copyright laws and don't give it a second thought.