The Boston Diaries

The ongoing saga of a programmer who doesn't live in Boston, nor does he even like Boston, but yet named his weblog/journal “The Boston Diaries.”

Go figure.

Tuesday, February 01, 2000

The Purpose of Copyright

Understanding the root cause and the dangers of this shift requires exposing the most fundamental and most common misconception concerning the underlying purpose of the monopoly granted by our copyright law. The primary purpose of copyright is not, as many people believe, to protect authors against those who would steal the fruits of their labor. However, this misconception, repeated so often that it has become accepted among the public as true, poses serious dangers to the core purpose that copyright law is designed to serve.

Open Spaces Magazine - The Purpose of Copyright by Lydia Pallas Loren [via Camworld]

Are we slowing heading towards a time when only corporations can own intellectual property? I'm sure corporations wouldn't mind …


“I drove my Chevy to the levee … ”

I'm in the car waiting for lunch when I hear this new remake of American Pie by this lush female singer. Of course immediately after the song the radio station launches into this extended set of commercials that last the way home so I don't know who did the song.

But everytime I hear that song, even if it is the original version, I can't help but think of Wierd Al's version.


Databases schmatabases …

I know Mark won't agree, but the advice jwz gives about databases agrees with mine.

And his experience in mail summary files is yet another datapoint in his avoidance of databases.

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[The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades]

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