The tenth rule of the ethics of rules and means is that you do what you can with what you have and clothe [“reform”] in moral arguments. …the essence of Lenin’s speeches during this period was “They have the guns and therefore we are for peace and for reformation through the ballot. When we have … Continue reading
Nothing says “Internet Freedom” like getting away with it, and in case you missed it, Google got away with it again at the Federal Trade Commission yesterday. According to press reports (see “Google Pressed Hard Behind the Scenes to Convince Regulators” in the New York Times, Did Google Buy Its Way Out of Trouble with the … Continue reading
The Fair Use/Orphan Works Connection: A Lesson from the UK We would all do well to observe the intellectual property meltdown occuring in the UK largely as the result of the so-called “Google Review” commissioned by the UK government (officially titles the “Hargreaves Review”). This is particularly acute given the concurrent “agency capture” of the UK’s … Continue reading
Artists have taken note of the recent legislative activity in the European Union regarding “orphan works”. The European Union defines these works as “works like books, newspaper and magazine articles and films that are still protected by copyright but whose authors or other rightholders are not known or cannot be located or contacted to obtain copyright … Continue reading
We at the Trichordist are expecting another push at so-called “orphan works” legislation in the U.S. Congress during the upcoming legislative session. We take a dim view of the “orphan works” theory–it seems to be yet another way of undermining copyright through a back-door safe harbor. If the last effort at “orphan works” legislation was … Continue reading
This is in response to the the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s “Notice of Inquiry on International Internet Policy Priorities.” This seemingly obscure agency has enormous influence over federal internet policy. The NTIA has asked for comments on Internet Policy Priorities. An ad hoc coalition of performers, songwriters, musicians, authors, and academics have submitted … Continue reading
Dear Google…er…uh-I mean American Library Association: Really? The American Library Association and it’s members are really gonna be impacted by a voluntary “small claims” copyright court? How? How could this possibly have any impact on your member libraries? This is quite a stretch even by Google apparatchik standards. While there will always be plenty … Continue reading
Does ALA counsel Jonathan Band really have libraries best interests at heart. Or is he more interested in helping Silicon Valley in its war on the individual rights of authors. If you haven’t heard the “used” digital file platform ReDigi case is back. The case rests on the question of whether consumers have the … Continue reading
“Public Knowledge? Most of the money and all the policy is Google” – Former board member. The Google/Soros front group that is Public Knowledge just released an unprecedented attack on the Copyright Office and staff. This is notable for several reasons. First, the attack is in retaliation for the Copyright Office opposing the FCC … Continue reading
This Nyan Cat awards are given for outstanding achievement in disinformation, web myths and general web based idiocy. One of the biggest and most important urban myths that the Copyleft loves to propagate is the one about Thomas Jefferson and copyright. Several times now I’ve had the following Jefferson quote thrown at me when I … Continue reading
