[Upd-discuss] a longer term strategy for promoting the publicdomain?

[Michael Hart]

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004, Becky Hogge wrote:

> I've heard both Larry Lessig and Brewster Kahle use the argument that
> patents (on innovations) and copyrights (on artistic works) are similar
> legal mechanisms which allow people a limited monopoly over their ideas
> to give them an incentive to come up with them in the first place. This
> leads on to the attractive argument that therefore, why are patent terms
> 14 years and copyright terms life plus 70?

It would appear that the-powers-that-be think it is more important for us
to have the rights to build and sell our own version of a "supersonic
toaster" or to have "generic versions" of most items available as an
inexpensive part of our infrastructure. . .than it is for us to have
similar rights to the ideas that fill the grey matter in our brains
via the various media that permeate our civilization.

More about this on request.


Thanks!!!


Nice To Hear From You!


Michael


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