Slashdot Mirror
The Tyranny of Copyright?
Pinky3 writes "The Sunday New York Times Magazine has a long article entitled The Tyranny of Copyright? Views of both supporters of CopyLeft (Lessig and Zittrain) and Copyright (Ginsberg and Goldstein) are laid out. The article constrasts the cultural commons to the 'permission culture" and covers the unintended consequences of various US laws passed long ago." Dear NYT editors: "Copy Left" really shouldn't have a space in it. Thanks.
Does this sound like Big Brother vs. The World to anyone else? copyRIGHT - spearheaded by a guy named Goldstein? and copyLEFT? What's next, copyGREEN and COPYCOMMIE?
It is entirely possible that the left will someday start respecting the rights of the individual again. In ancient history (before 1900) Liberalism was concerned with expanding the rights of individuals. In the 20th century, it flipflopped and liberalism was a synonym for expanding the state to curtail the evil individual.
Today, it seems clear that the conservative movement in the US is abandonning its brief flirtation with libertarianism. Meanwhile some people calling themselves "liberal" are starting to realize the importance of individual rights. It is possible that a polar shift might occur again.
Of course for most, the situation is clear. Anything good people, like college students, do is okay. Anything bad people, like those who work for a living, do is bad. Far too few people seem to ever go beyond punishing enemies and rewarding friends and actually think about the ideas themselves.