Semi-OT: Congress about to limit artists' copyright rights

[Jeffrey Watts]

On Sat, May 31, 2008 at 5:23 AM, Billy Crook <billycrook at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> This is a really big deal.  Right now, nearly everything is
> copyrighted.  Every work, no matter how insignificant, is copyright
> it's author the moment it is created, unless its author is the
> government, and that lasts the lifetime of the author plus 70 years or
> up to 120 years from the date of authorship.  If you don't make your
> work known for some long period of time, or don't make it clear what
> the terms are and make it obvious who the copyright holder is, you are
> creating a mess for others.

You're right Billy, but I think you have the wrong solution.  Since
we're talking about drastic solutions for common problems, let's just
outlaw the creation of paintings, music, sculpture, pottery, etc.
Clearly all of this "artistic" stuff is just clogging up the legal
system and giving you a conniption fit (being sarcastic here).

I'm sorry Billy, but it's clear that either 1) you're totally
unreasonably crazy or 2) you're talking about something completely
different here, and failing to acknowledge that what we've brought up
is a valid concern.  I'm hoping it's the latter.

You're talking about art like it's a patent, which is a completely
different thing.  We're talking about the impact on people who make
paintings and music, and you seem to be talking about someone who is
designing a logo.  I totally get that there can be, at times, a
problem with someone who says "hey!  I made a sign that looks like
that McDonald's poster five years ago!".

But we're all talking about the impact of this bill on small artists.
You completely disregard the valid concerns, and talk about those
small artists as if they're either A) assholes looking to extort money
from poor, hard working megacorporations or B) hippie beatniks that
shouldn't care if their work is stolen and profited from.  Sure, your
concern is on _likenesses_, not actual pixel by pixel (or note for
note) copies, but don't you see that it's a slippery slope?

I find it funny that you completely dismiss the opinions of Leo, whose
wife apparently is an artist, and thus directly impacted.  What do you
do Billy?  I'll freely admit that I'm not an artist - my concerns have
more to do with the slippery slope and the possibility that this kind
of legislation might work its way on over to software.

This bill strikes me to be a very large hammer to pound a very small
nail.... Don't be surprised if a lot of thumbs get smashed by it
(that's another analogy).

Jeffrey.

-- 

"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy
from oppression; for if he violates this duty he establishes a
precedent that will reach to himself." -- Thomas Paine