WipOut Contest

musicmaster writes "A couple of organisations that worry about too much copyright protection have organised an essay contest about intellectual property. This contest is meant as an alternative to a similar WIPO contest. The contest can be found at Wipout Among the participating organisations are Center for the public domain, the Register, the EFF and the GNU foundation."

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Best Excerpt

[PingXao]

Thomas Macaulay in Parliament in 1841:

I will only say this, that if the measure before us should pass, and should produce one-tenth part of the evil which it is calculated to produce, and which I fully expect it to produce, there will soon be a remedy, though of a very objectionable kind. Just as the absurd acts which prohibited the sale of game were virtually repealed by the poacher, just as many absurd revenue acts have been virtually repealed by the smuggler, so will this law be virtually repealed by piratical booksellers. At present the holder of copyright has the public feeling on his side. Those who invade copyright are regarded as knaves who take the bread out of the mouths of deserving men. Everybody is well pleased to see them restrained by the law, and compelled to refund their ill-gotten gains. No tradesman of good repute will have anything to do with such disgraceful transactions. Pass this law: and that feeling is at an end. Men very different from the present race of piratical booksellers will soon infringe this intolerable monopoly. Great masses of capital will be constantly employed in the violation of the law. Every art will be employed to evade legal pursuit; and the whole nation will be in the plot.

Macaulay is basically saying that most people want to do the right thing, but when onerous laws are passed those laws become de-facto repealed by just about everyone. It lessens the dignity and honor of good people when rules and regulations become so one-sided in favor of special interests that ordinary people start to think there's nothing morally wrong with acting outside those laws and thus become "criminals" overnight. IMO such laws also demean the law itself and the respect which should be accorded to it.

At one time, people just wouldn't sit still for some things. With the general laziness and apathy of the general public (consumers) today, no wonder the special interests are trying so hard.