Comments on: The Copyright Conspiracy http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/484/the-copyright-conspiracy Mac & Technology Writings by Daniel Jalkut Wed, 7 Jan 2009 09:49:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: J Nozzi http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/484/the-copyright-conspiracy/comment-page-1#comment-136368 J Nozzi Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:08:46 +0000 http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/?p=484#comment-136368 While this is true if you're not trying to make (at least part of) a living from your work, this blog post seems focused on those who *are* in it for profit. Mr. Davidson is one of those people. So is Mr. Jalkut and so am I. :-) Don't get me wrong, I love making good software, but I'm running a business for a reason. While this is true if you’re not trying to make (at least part of) a living from your work, this blog post seems focused on those who *are* in it for profit. Mr. Davidson is one of those people. So is Mr. Jalkut and so am I. :-)

Don’t get me wrong, I love making good software, but I’m running a business for a reason.

]]> By: Paul Jacobson http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/484/the-copyright-conspiracy/comment-page-1#comment-136367 Paul Jacobson Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:02:54 +0000 http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/?p=484#comment-136367 One option is to go in a different direction and publish your content under a free license like one of the Creative Commons licenses or GPL. If people want to share your work, why not create a framework where they can do so legitimately and create more awareness about you as the creator of that work? Creative Commons licenses automatically require some form of attribution, regardless of hoe permissive the license is, and this translates into links back to you and a public acknowledgement of you as the author. Granted there will still be people who wouldn't change their nefarious habits regardless of how you license the content but licensing the content under a free content creates a new opportunity to spread the word about your talents. One option is to go in a different direction and publish your content under a free license like one of the Creative Commons licenses or GPL. If people want to share your work, why not create a framework where they can do so legitimately and create more awareness about you as the creator of that work?

Creative Commons licenses automatically require some form of attribution, regardless of hoe permissive the license is, and this translates into links back to you and a public acknowledgement of you as the author. Granted there will still be people who wouldn’t change their nefarious habits regardless of how you license the content but licensing the content under a free content creates a new opportunity to spread the word about your talents.

]]> By: J Nozzi http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/484/the-copyright-conspiracy/comment-page-1#comment-136364 J Nozzi Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:48:19 +0000 http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/?p=484#comment-136364 It's a sad state of affairs, sure, but the most important assets to an independent developer is/are their application(s). Fortunately, those are far easier to defend as you have source code and (hopefully) thousands of "witnesses" (users). Granted, I'm no lawyer, but it seems easier to defend that than, say, a photograph you took, a web illustration (button, widget, etc.), an icon, etc. Certainly the laws need reformed to reflect the shift toward the entrepreneurial proliferation the Internet has allowed (especially since digital works are generally intangible), but as Kevin said, hold your breath and you'll probably just die. ;-) I don't register my work because it is definitely cost-prohibitive, but in this age, it's easy to bring public scorn down on copiers via blog posts. You can even have a laugh at simple icon theft. :-) I cite this: http://www.panic.com/extras/ripoff/ The Panic guys are "pretty big" so it probably doesn't hurt them as much. I might not have such a good sense of humor, and might be more likely to contact the infringers but if it's an international dispute, threat of legal action is not likely to accomplish anything. This of course makes the whole "copyright laws need reform" argument seem almost silly if the scope is confined to your own country. The Internets, after all, (is/are?) a big place full of many, many tubes. It’s a sad state of affairs, sure, but the most important assets to an independent developer is/are their application(s). Fortunately, those are far easier to defend as you have source code and (hopefully) thousands of “witnesses” (users). Granted, I’m no lawyer, but it seems easier to defend that than, say, a photograph you took, a web illustration (button, widget, etc.), an icon, etc.

Certainly the laws need reformed to reflect the shift toward the entrepreneurial proliferation the Internet has allowed (especially since digital works are generally intangible), but as Kevin said, hold your breath and you’ll probably just die. ;-)

I don’t register my work because it is definitely cost-prohibitive, but in this age, it’s easy to bring public scorn down on copiers via blog posts. You can even have a laugh at simple icon theft. :-) I cite this:

http://www.panic.com/extras/ripoff/

The Panic guys are “pretty big” so it probably doesn’t hurt them as much. I might not have such a good sense of humor, and might be more likely to contact the infringers but if it’s an international dispute, threat of legal action is not likely to accomplish anything. This of course makes the whole “copyright laws need reform” argument seem almost silly if the scope is confined to your own country.

The Internets, after all, (is/are?) a big place full of many, many tubes.

]]> By: Kevin http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/484/the-copyright-conspiracy/comment-page-1#comment-136350 Kevin Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:08:10 +0000 http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/?p=484#comment-136350 I'm waiting for patent reform too, but I'm certainly not holding my breath about it. Otherwise I'll most certainly die. I’m waiting for patent reform too, but I’m certainly not holding my breath about it. Otherwise I’ll most certainly die.

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