Richard Stallman – Lianza Keynote 2
Richard started off giving a breif history of copyright.
Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the printing press. But the copyright system does not fit well with computer networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it.
The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying for draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers, while suppressing public access to technology. They wish to establish a pay-per-read system for books, and convert public libraries into retail stores. If we hope to serve the only legitimate purpose of copyright—to promote progress, for the benefit of the
public--then we must change copyright law in the other direction.
do the ideas of free software extend to other works It's a matter of freedom not price.
Free software respects the users freedom.
0. use as you wish
1. look at source code
2. help your neighbour
3. share with others
All software should be free so that all users can be free. Many proprietry programmes have malicious backdoors e.g. automatic updates without needing the users permission, spyware reporting back without our knowlesges, cookies spying on us and so. Computers need to be defenestrated
do these same ideas and freedoms apply to other things? If you have a copy of something that's not software the only thing that might deny you freedoms is copyright. With software there's contracts and withholding the sourcecode from users other things - there's no difference between the source code and executable "What should copyright law allow you to do with published works?"
Copyright has developed along with copying technology. It became no the ancient world - read one copy and write another. To write 10 copies meant it would take 10 times as long as creating a single copy. no such thing as copyright in the ancient world - except if the local prince didn't like it. (censorship)
Then there was an advance in techology - the printing press. Mass production become more efficient but a single copy still as time intensive. Economy of scale once the type is set. Copyright began when printing press began. A totally different idea - temporary monopoly for author. The US constiution - if there is a copyright law the purpose is to promote progress; has to last a limited time.
Was an industrial regulation - general public never expected to be involved in copyright. traded away theoretical rights for benefit (muptiple copies)
Printing press to Computer/digital, Copyright no longer fits in with the technology, its no longer easy to enforce - publishers want to enforce against individuals "Around the world we see the pressure to make copyright longer and longer and longer" Asking the question - will this encourage creators (authors/artists etc) to create more on the theoretical basis of extended copyright? The date that works fall out of copyright is like tomorrow - it never comes. Need one dimension - duration
Publishers have idea that they can use computers against us - setting up a pay-per-view universe via DRM e.g. DVDs - encrypted into a region that was broken. Now a new one has been designed - AACS.
How does he know about these conspiracies? They have websites Companies are confident that governments are on their side, technology and publishers working together AACS broken. Needed the key....months later a photo of #cutepuppies with a number above it was everywhere. guess what the number was... publishers changed the key. So it goes on Richard advising us not to buy Bluray as they are not free, again the system locks us in and controls us.
Richard gave an ‘us and them’ style of talk in which he spoke about the concepts of ‘free software’ and DRM.
Examples included the use of root-kit software installed on Sony music discs and AACS DRM content control.
E-book readers came in for a roasting. Stallman was not happy with the concept of purchasing content via a Kindle and (as he alleges) it’s purported back door that allows Amazon to erase books on end users Kindles.
The idea that Amazon would know all about you before you bought a book from them was also strongly disliked.
He proposed several ideas including the notion that copyright should end 10 years after the date of publication and the introduction of three broad categories of copyright works:
· Functional (things you use to do a job in your life) works that should be free.
· Works that say what you thought
· Works of art & entertainment
Overall an interesting talk that filled the full 60 minutes and showed a good connection with the audience. #lianza09
Richard started off giving a breif history of copyright.
Copyright developed in the age of the printing press, and was designed to fit with the system of centralized copying imposed by the printing press. But the copyright system does not fit well with computer networks, and only draconian punishments can enforce it.
The global corporations that profit from copyright are lobbying for draconian punishments, and to increase their copyright powers, while suppressing public access to technology. They wish to establish a pay-per-read system for books, and convert public libraries into retail stores. If we hope to serve the only legitimate purpose of copyright—to promote progress, for the benefit of the
public--then we must change copyright law in the other direction.
do the ideas of free software extend to other works It's a matter of freedom not price.
Free software respects the users freedom.
0. use as you wish
1. look at source code
2. help your neighbour
3. share with others
All software should be free so that all users can be free. Many proprietry programmes have malicious backdoors e.g. automatic updates without needing the users permission, spyware reporting back without our knowlesges, cookies spying on us and so. Computers need to be defenestrated
do these same ideas and freedoms apply to other things? If you have a copy of something that's not software the only thing that might deny you freedoms is copyright. With software there's contracts and withholding the sourcecode from users other things - there's no difference between the source code and executable "What should copyright law allow you to do with published works?"
Copyright has developed along with copying technology. It became no the ancient world - read one copy and write another. To write 10 copies meant it would take 10 times as long as creating a single copy. no such thing as copyright in the ancient world - except if the local prince didn't like it. (censorship)
Then there was an advance in techology - the printing press. Mass production become more efficient but a single copy still as time intensive. Economy of scale once the type is set. Copyright began when printing press began. A totally different idea - temporary monopoly for author. The US constiution - if there is a copyright law the purpose is to promote progress; has to last a limited time.
Was an industrial regulation - general public never expected to be involved in copyright. traded away theoretical rights for benefit (muptiple copies)
Printing press to Computer/digital, Copyright no longer fits in with the technology, its no longer easy to enforce - publishers want to enforce against individuals "Around the world we see the pressure to make copyright longer and longer and longer" Asking the question - will this encourage creators (authors/artists etc) to create more on the theoretical basis of extended copyright? The date that works fall out of copyright is like tomorrow - it never comes. Need one dimension - duration
Publishers have idea that they can use computers against us - setting up a pay-per-view universe via DRM e.g. DVDs - encrypted into a region that was broken. Now a new one has been designed - AACS.
How does he know about these conspiracies? They have websites Companies are confident that governments are on their side, technology and publishers working together AACS broken. Needed the key....months later a photo of #cutepuppies with a number above it was everywhere. guess what the number was... publishers changed the key. So it goes on Richard advising us not to buy Bluray as they are not free, again the system locks us in and controls us.
Richard gave an ‘us and them’ style of talk in which he spoke about the concepts of ‘free software’ and DRM.
Examples included the use of root-kit software installed on Sony music discs and AACS DRM content control.
E-book readers came in for a roasting. Stallman was not happy with the concept of purchasing content via a Kindle and (as he alleges) it’s purported back door that allows Amazon to erase books on end users Kindles.
The idea that Amazon would know all about you before you bought a book from them was also strongly disliked.
He proposed several ideas including the notion that copyright should end 10 years after the date of publication and the introduction of three broad categories of copyright works:
· Functional (things you use to do a job in your life) works that should be free.
· Works that say what you thought
· Works of art & entertainment
Overall an interesting talk that filled the full 60 minutes and showed a good connection with the audience. #lianza09
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