Before I Can Fix This Tractor, We Have to Fix Copyright Law
1–10 of 199 posts
Re: Before I Can Fix This Tractor, We Have to Fix Copyright Law
#2If copyright law actually respected a balance between creators and the public, anything under digital restriction technology would be ineligible for it, since there's clearly no intention of adding to the public domain after the period is up. Of course we know it doesn't.
Anyone with half a brain knew the DMCA was a bad idea when it was being "debated". Now it's accepted because we've grown accustomed to workarounds. The only way our society will be fixed is when the reality-incongruent copyright system simply collapses.
Re: Before I Can Fix This Tractor, We Have to Fix Copyright Law
#3If copyright law actually respected a balance between creators and the public, anything under digital restriction technology would be ineligible for it, since there's clearly no intention of adding to the public domain after the period is up. Of course we know it doesn't. Anyone with half a brain knew the DMCA was a bad idea when it was being "debated". Now it's accepted because we've grown accustomed to workarounds.…
The part of the DMCA that lets sites and ISPs host/transmit user uploads without being sued on a daily basis is pretty nice.
Re: Before I Can Fix This Tractor, We Have to Fix Copyright Law
#4Look, if as per the article you need an army of lawyers to fix your tractor, that should be your first—no probably 10th—clue that your problem is not copyright law, but the idea that copyright law is something that you need to respect and obey.
You are always free to withdraw your consent from having your life be ruled by what a handful of people you've never met (and whose names you don't even know) have decided about how you and your community needs to conduct itself.
Re: Before I Can Fix This Tractor, We Have to Fix Copyright Law
#5[deleted]
Re: Before I Can Fix This Tractor, We Have to Fix Copyright Law
#6If copyright law actually respected a balance between creators and the public, anything under digital restriction technology would be ineligible for it, since there's clearly no intention of adding to the public domain after the period is up. Of course we know it doesn't. Anyone with half a brain knew the DMCA was a bad idea when it was being "debated". Now it's accepted because we've grown accustomed to workarounds.…
The part of the DMCA that lets sites and ISPs host/transmit user uploads without being sued on a daily basis is pretty nice.
I don't recall ISPs being sued [and found liable] before the DMCA. That seems akin to the phone company being sued for someone singing happy birthday over their lines.
IMHO being thankful for "safe harbor" seems more like a post-rationalization than anything else. If poor definitions meant common carriers weren't actually exempt, then that could have been resolved with straightforward clarification instead of an unnecessary "compromise".
Re: Before I Can Fix This Tractor, We Have to Fix Copyright Law
#7If copyright law actually respected a balance between creators and the public, anything under digital restriction technology would be ineligible for it, since there's clearly no intention of adding to the public domain after the period is up. Of course we know it doesn't. Anyone with half a brain knew the DMCA was a bad idea when it was being "debated". Now it's accepted because we've grown accustomed to workarounds.…
The part of the DMCA that lets sites and ISPs host/transmit user uploads without being sued on a daily basis is pretty nice.
Arguably, the only reason you have to worry about the lawsuits is because of stupid IP laws in the first place though.
Re: Before I Can Fix This Tractor, We Have to Fix Copyright Law
#8If copyright law actually respected a balance between creators and the public, anything under digital restriction technology would be ineligible for it, since there's clearly no intention of adding to the public domain after the period is up. Of course we know it doesn't. Anyone with half a brain knew the DMCA was a bad idea when it was being "debated". Now it's accepted because we've grown accustomed to workarounds.…
The part of the DMCA that lets sites and ISPs host/transmit user uploads without being sued on a daily basis is pretty nice.
A part of that part is nice, yes. There's a different part of that part which forces them to take anything down on any valid request. That means you can request taking down any service at all if you made an "honest mistake". (for example https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150728/05285531772/wordp... but google knows much more)
Re: Before I Can Fix This Tractor, We Have to Fix Copyright Law
#9Look, if as per the article you need an army of lawyers to fix your tractor, that should be your first—no probably 10th—clue that your problem is not copyright law, but the idea that copyright law is something that you need to respect and obey. You are always free to withdraw your consent from having your life be ruled by what a handful of people you've never met (and whose names you don't even know) have decided abo…
> You are always free to withdraw your consent from having your life be ruled by what a handful of people you've never met
No, actually you are not free to do that. You can declare it, but it doesn't change anything in practice.
Re: Before I Can Fix This Tractor, We Have to Fix Copyright Law
#10Look, if as per the article you need an army of lawyers to fix your tractor, that should be your first—no probably 10th—clue that your problem is not copyright law, but the idea that copyright law is something that you need to respect and obey. You are always free to withdraw your consent from having your life be ruled by what a handful of people you've never met (and whose names you don't even know) have decided abo…
> You are always free to withdraw your consent from having your life be ruled by what a handful of people you've never met No, actually you are not free to do that. You can declare it, but it doesn't change anything in practice.
> No, actually you are not free to do that. You can declare it, but it doesn't change anything in practice.
Sure you are. People do it all the time.