Ursula Le Guin's Petition Against Google Books

Miracle Jones blogs about the petition against the Google Book Settlement created by science fiction writer Ursula Le Guin, winner of five Hugo awards and six Nebulas. Le Guin is urging professional writers who are opposed to the terms of the settlement to sign her online petition before the January 28th deadline. From the petition: "The free and open dissemination of information and of literature, as it exists in our Public Libraries, can and should exist in the electronic media. All authors hope for that. But we cannot have free and open dissemination of information and literature unless the use of written material continues to be controlled by those who write it or own legitimate right in it. We urge our government and our courts to allow no corporation to circumvent copyright law or dictate the terms of that control."

Comments

The French would disagree

[tjstork]

This idea that artists control their work forever is unfair to everyone.

The French would disagree with this. They have single handedly foisted on the world ever longer copyrights since the 19th century. I don't know why the French are this way, but given that they have invented croissants, mayonaisse and champagne, I'm inclined to believe them.

So it looks like the French are our new political football in America. Liberals loved the French when they were anti-war, and now, here we are, conservatives, saying, "hey, look at how great France is", in order to support copyrights.

Oh France! Some Americans will always hate you, but America as a whole will always love you!

Re:Limited times

[Scrameustache]

But we cannot have free and open dissemination of information and literature unless the use of written material continues to be controlled by those who write it or own legitimate right in it.

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.

So, what in her mind happens when that time expires?

Nothing, obviously: Under ACTA, copyrights will expire roughly two weeks after the heat death of the universe.

Re:Her statement seems inconsistent.

[Zero__Kelvin]

"Ahh, but it is the library that makes these rules, not the author!"

Actually it is an evil group conspiracy! involving the publisher, library, the law, and physics:

• The publisher sells X number of copies, thus limiting availability and making sure they amd the author - GASP! - receive money for their efforts
• The library decides who they will and won't allow to borrow the books they - GASP - paid for !
• The law says you cannot make a copy of the book
• Physics insists that the same physical book cannot be read by two different people in two different places at he same time