Hi Zak,
Zak B. Elep wrote:
Well, think about it this way: if your work and fun is almost entirely reliant on developing applications (proprietary or otherwise), then you might just change your views. See, if say I produced something very useful (I can't think of something yet from the top of my head), and somebody claims it has his own, -- therefore pirates it -- would you think I would feel happy and my concerns would be "petty"?
That is indeed a valid claim, protecting your self-interest for yourself and for posterity. However, I was speaking in a rather philosophical sense, which might offend some people...
Uh, actually that was an example. :D No offense meant, and none taken. But I do work as a developer, although the firm I work for at the moment does not make a living selling software. :D
To elaborate, let's have this (deliberately impossible) example: suppose I invented the wheel, around 15-20k years ago. Now let's say I had lived that long, long enough to await the invention of patents and intellectual property (which, in retrospect, I can invent sooner anyway.) I get the patent, and soon after I require all those who would produce copies of my invention a royalty, say 1 cent for every wheel ever made. Even at that rate, I get rich quick because of the way the wheel has changed the way of civilization forever.
Let's not go as far as the wheel -- think about the light bulb. Thomas Edison got "rich" with his invention which he patented -- later being produced by GE licensed to other producers of the incandescent lamp. Then there came the Flourescent lamps -- patented also. That didn't stop halogen lamps from coming out. And then there are LED arrays, and others like cathode tubes, etc.
Like the wheel, light bulbs changed civilization forever. But what am I saying here? It sounds like I'm defending patents right? I'm merely showing one way by which even a patented product -- or a copyrighted piece of work -- couldn't necessarily be "evil".
Now from here I can infer several things: that (a) I have made a profound change to the way humanity works; that (b) I can put in my credit the great achievements of this humanity; and that (c) I can enslave humanity by using my influence of self-preservation and pompous posterity to the detriment of all.
In other words, I can be a virtual God among men, forcing all to do my will whether for good or ill. That is the result of human selfishness, and it *is* selfishness that is the root of piracy, because selfishness promotes self-interest and imbalanced competition; and in turn, this begets other evils, because `we cannot give what we do not have--so, we take.'
Patenting your design for the wheel would be selfish. Well, yeah. :D Patenting some person's design for the Coke bottle would be selfish. Well, yeah! So is claiming what is yours, and possessing anything and keeping it for yourself. Would it be selfish if you give to the church? Maybe not. Would it be selfish if you invest in the stock market? Well, yes! :D
But what can you do that's not selfish? I admit, being a charitable prostitute to be used by anybody for any purpose is a very *very* wild fantasy but that's hardly a way of life. Sooner or later, it's going to catch up with you. :)
Now, you might berate me with my having such a long-winded example, or that the story is so full of loopholes (like my apparent immortality.)
Not really. A very good example indeed. Let's then talk about copyright. What is then wrong in saying that you own the rights and idea behind the wheel? That in effect only says that you will be able to claim that the design is yours, and that you'll go down in history as the inventor of the wheel.
It's much like saying that:
Linux Copyright Linus Torvalds 1991 Licensed under the GPL
So who has the copyright to Linux? Linus Torvalds. Is the design of the Linux kernel exclusive to him? Well, due to the GPL, it allows others to use the software as he/she sees fit without implied warranty -- and make modifications to the code. However, can I claim that the Linux kernel is mine? NO. Nobody else can claim that but Linus Torvalds.
However, consider this: have you ever done something so selfless for an ideal without form?
Pardon me, but I don't really know what you mean by this.
Which stems from the notion that what you create, you can exploit for your benefit. While this is the norm, this is not the only path. A programmer can do many more things beside building programs--there are other things, like painting or cooking, or even just sitting down and thinking in retrospect what he can do not for himself but for the world he lives in. /usr/share/emacs/21.3/etc/THE-GNU-PROJECT is an interesting read that tackles this problem...
Yes, it's not the only path. The musician was an example. Now take into consideration what most of the linux kernel hackers would feel if (for example) someone comes along and claims that Linux is theirs (see what happened to IBM's fight with SCO). If not for copyright laws, it would have been perfectly reasonable for SCO to claim that Linux was theirs -- or that the light bulb was something I invented.
It could certainly be a lie, but you know lies -- when it's been said over and over become "true" at some time.
You are right. But honestly I can't seem to remember companies that would actually protect the interest of the consumer even to the point that they can lose a lot of money. Copyright, NDAs and IP stuff are still based on a world of unfair rules and vested interests.
So what do you suggest in stead of Copyrights? NDA's I can do without. IP, very much debatable.
Most copyrights however allow at least a single copy of the article to be made as a `backup'. That could be used as a loophole.
I think you mean licenses...
And that's how it (piracy) will be a problem.
Never said it wansn't.
Ok. :D
-- Dean Michael Berris ymid: mikhailberis [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Philippine Linux Users' Group (PLUG) Mailing List [email protected] (#PLUG @ irc.free.net.ph) Official Website: http://plug.linux.org.ph Searchable Archives: http://marc.free.net.ph . To leave, go to http://lists.q-linux.com/mailman/listinfo/plug . Are you a Linux newbie? To join the newbie list, go to http://lists.q-linux.com/mailman/listinfo/ph-linux-newbie
