SHAKSPER 2008: Books to Buy

From: Hardy M. Cook (editor@SHAKSPER.NET)
Date: 01/26/08 

The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 19.0046  Saturday, 26 January 2008

[1] 	From:	John Robinson <Ucbubba@aol.com>
	Date:	Wednesday, 23 Jan 2008 23:38:33 EST
	Subj:	Re: SHK 19.0040 Books to Buy

[2] 	From:	Gabriel Egan <mail@GabrielEgan.com>
	Date:	Thursday, 24 Jan 2008 11:58:59 -0000
	Subj:	Re: SHK 19.0040 Books to Buy


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:		John Robinson <Ucbubba@aol.com>
Date:		Wednesday, 23 Jan 2008 23:38:33 EST
Subject: 19.0040 Books to Buy
Comment:	Re: SHK 19.0040 Books to Buy

 >On the upcoming digitized Henslowe-Alleyn papers,
 >Gabriel Egan reassures us: "I'll be happy to report
 >how to break the locks when the product
appears, since it is of course immoral for anyone to
 >lock this stuff away in the first place."
 >
 >Can Gabriel Egan describe his ideal copyright law
 >for authors living and dead that he would abide by?
 >Would they or their literary estates be protected? If
 >so, for how long? What in his law would constitute foul
 >use? And what penalty would his law assign those
 >"morally charged" privateers who break it? Knighthood?
 >
 >Curious,
 >Joe Egert

Lovely abstract ethical question. Read "Double Fold"....UMI microfilms 
all old newspapers, libraries destroy hard copies to save space, then 
pay UMI $$$$$ to buy poor quality micro films of the material they once 
owned. Now ONLY UMI has the material available on microfilm (for sale of 
course) and the originals are sold to book breakers or destroyed.

Moral of the story, a corporation now owns the rights to a significant 
portion of our journalistic history.

Screw'em all. Bootleg and share ALL public domain material...protect 
"fair use"...and tell all busy body, frustrated policeman to "piss-off"

John Robinson

[2]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:		Gabriel Egan <mail@GabrielEgan.com>
Date:		Thursday, 24 Jan 2008 11:58:59 -0000
Subject: 19.0040 Books to Buy
Comment:	Re: SHK 19.0040 Books to Buy

Joe Egert asks:

 >Can Gabriel Egan describe his ideal
 >copyright law for authors living and
 >dead that he would abide by? Would
 >they or their literary estates be protected?
 >If so, for how long? What in his law would
 >constitute foul use? And what penalty
 >would his law assign those "morally charged"
 >privateers who break it? Knighthood?

I see no need for legal barriers to simple copying of words so long as 
the meanings and attributions are not distorted thereby. In giving away 
copies of A. C. Bradley's _Shakespearean Tragedy_ on my website I do not 
misrepresent Bradley nor take credit for what he wrote, and that's 
important.

The medium by which Bradley's words are conveyed is unimportant. Our 
copyright laws exist to support the businesses of those who have, until 
recently, controlled the medium by which most mass dissemination took 
place: printing on paper. Printing is no longer the best medium for mass 
dissemination of words, and those laws are an impediment to knowledge.

The claim that copyright law protects writers is untrue.  I want to be 
able to copy anybody's words for the purpose of reading and engaging 
with them, and I am happy for anybody to copy my words for the same 
purposes. The only "foul use" is misrepresentation, and the best tool to 
prevent it is open debate.

Gabriel Egan

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Hardy M. Cook, editor@shaksper.net
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