No more bullsh*t. No more compromise. The sun does not revolve around the earth, and the overwhelming evidence shows the ideal duration for patents and copyright is zero.
#EndImaginaryProperty #LiberateIdeas #AbolishCopyrights #AbolishPatents #BringBackNapster
We must let go of these archaic ideas in order to safeguard the future of computing.
I think a little more nuance is warranted here.
Information is not property, and its sharing and reproduction is not theft.
I agree that people who work on building complicated information (movies, software, ..) should be compensated, but not at the expense of our right to share. There are many proven business models that guarantee compensation without restricting sharing, but they don't generate as much money as industry standard "passive-revenue" (rent-seeking) scheme of "licensing" and copyright.
It's incredibly sad that many people no longer understand this.
If a 5 year old has a "secret" picture and someone takes it and shows to entire class, they would be outraged.
Not all sharing is good. There are nuances everywhere.
I share something with my friend and she shares it with someone else. Nothing wrong with that. If she were to share it and say she made it that’s lying/fraud. There are consequences for that.
If my friend breaks into my desk and shares photos of the contents, that’s a violent property crime. There’s consequences for that.
Pretending that these are what we are talking about is dishonest.
Johnny: “Sure, show it to me... can I take it home?”
Sara: yes, you can have it. But don’t show it to others!
Johnny: “HEY EVERYONE LOOK WHAT A STUPID PICTURE SARA MADE”
Sara: No! I told you not to show it to anyone else! (Starts crying)
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No nuances you say?
> Not all sharing is good.
Try this:
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Sara: “Hey Johnny! Want to see my new invention? 99% of it is made up of discoveries made by my ancestors. I was on the receiving end of a lifetime of patience and privilege, as my parents (and other mentors) were able to give me a lot of attention as they are privileged (non-propertied) knowledge workers under capitalism, and therefore not as stressed out as the majority of today's working class (non knowledge workers). My luck compounded into a role as lead researcher of a publicly funded research project, where I was able to do lots of experiments and make a significant new discovery which can benefit the owners of this new trade secret/intellectual property. So yeah, check out my work, but do not show it to anyone else. And here, sign this NDA, the capitalist firm I work for asks anyone to sign it.”
Johnny: “Sure, show it to me... and yeah I'll sign that NDA. Can I take this home?”
Sara: "yes, you can. But remember to not show it to others, otherwise they will 1) see how the ability to replicate my research is impossible today because of the privatization of science by capitalists (the continued assault on our shared inheritance), 2) see all the privilege I received, and lastly, 3) to see from the negative research exactly what experiments I did, and that it was not due to my own genius after all."
Johnny: “HEY EVERYONE LOOK WHAT AN AWESOME INVENTION SARA MADE. THIS IS AMAZING AND COULD HAVE SO MANY MORE APPLICATIONS IF SHARING IT WASN'T CRIMINALIZED UNDER CAPITALISM.”
Sara: "No! I told you not to show it to anyone else! Now they can see it. (Starts crying) Now I get to sue you and be backed up by the sickly rich capitalist rentiers/monopolizers who funded me."
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You know full well that sharing a drawing is not the same as the benefits gained from new discoveries made in science, which has the potential to benefit all humans.
So just like America then? Where did you get this idea that America is squeaky clean and original?
Newsflash: it's not.