[Fwd: !@!Re: [Upd-discuss] a longer term strategy for promoting the public domain?]

Wed, 18 Aug 2004 08:10:58 +0100

Forwarded on behalf of Michael Hart.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: !@!Re: [Upd-discuss] a longer term strategy for promoting the public 
domain?
Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 07:33:27 -0700 (PDT)
From: Michael Hart <hart@pglaf.org>
Reply-To: Michael S. Hart <hart@pobox.com>
To: Rufus Pollock - Open Knowledge Foundation <rufus.pollock@okfn.org>
CC: Michael S. Hart <hart@login.ibiblio.org>, hart@pglaf.org,	hart@pobox.com
References: <4121B4D2.1000107@okfn.org>

[Rufus, you may have to forward this to the list for me, my messages
do not seem to be getting through.  Thanks!  Michael]

On Tue, 17 Aug 2004, Rufus Pollock - Open Knowledge Foundation wrote:

> 0. Is it possible to me more specific about the end goal? For example, does
> one want changes to the legal system, greater awareness of the issue or
> changes in the amount and availability of public domain works.

> 1. Who should one seek to influence (e.g. in the UK: should it be the patent
> office, the Prime Minister, the Department of Media, Culture and Sport, the 
> DTI?)?

> 2. How does one campaign? For example: academic research, lobbying of the
> government, media attention etc?

I have not been able to find one single country that really opposes the
copyright extensions, even though they increase profits by only 1% and
thus increase tax revenues by a minuscule amount.

Just a couple years ago I was reporting that the Australian Parliament
has passed a resolution stating they would not extend copyrights, but
it now appears that by the end of the year they will succumb to the
economic pressures from the U.S. and sign a "Free Trade Agreement"
that will require that they extend their copyright to include a
million works that otherwise would be going into the public domain.

Another 20 years after the death of the creator. . ."life +70."

Another notch in the briefcases of

"The Landed Gentry of The Information Age."

Michael