[p2p-research] Fwd: [fcforum] Fw: iPad DRM is a dangerous step backward. Sign the petition!

[M. Fioretti]

On Thu, Feb 04, 2010 14:53:06 PM +0700, Michel Bauwens (michelsub2004 at gmail.com) wrote:
> Hi Marco,
> 
> I understand entirely what you mean by the scarcity of time, and
> clearly in our current context this is how we all experience it.

Thanks!

Re-reading this sub-thread, I think there are a couple of mistakes in
it. I surely made a mistake in mentioning poetry the first time,
because everything else I said remains valid in general, even without
that distraction, but poetry is one of the worst activities to use to
prove it. Bah. My mistake, sorry.

On top of that, I think Andy made the mistake to stick to that one
word to ignore everything else and continuing to go metaphysical.

Speaking of "current context", yes, there certainly are social models
that are wholly alternative to this one. However:

reducing any discussion and decision on copyright to how well
musicians and bohemien poets may or may not live well if it were
completely abolished is a sure sign of superficiality. Copyright
covers much, much more than music and poems.

complete abolition of copyright _would_ reduce production of many good
and socially useful works, even if music, poetry and other sectors of
literature would be little affected. Whereas the reformed copyright
that I suggest would BOTH maintain affordable for individuals (NOT
corporations!!!) to make a living by limited control over their works
without real harm to society as today, AND leave free everybody who
prefers other ways to release with CC license or straight in the
public domain.

Remember, by doing as I suggest public domain would be a MUCH bigger
corpus of works than it is with a 70+ years copyright duration. There
would be much, much less to fight over. Just think if all textbooks
published 10+ years ago were in the public domain. The cost of
textbooks in education is a problem not because copyright exists, but
only because almost ALL textbooks are STILL under copyright
protection, not just the newest one.

So, in the "current context", complete copyright abolition _would_
damage both some individuals and society as a whole, because they
wouldn't produce and publish as much as today. Doing as I suggest
would NOT hurt (except at the principles level) abolitionists,
education, the common good, individual freedom to live premodern and
so on, but would keep the incentives for those other people to publish
as much good stuff as possible. This thought alone is enough to make
me think that reform is way, way better than abolition, both in theory
and in practice, in the "current context".

As far as other contexts go, I invite to be concrete, not mix problems
and establish priorities. If I had basic income, personally I would
still think that complete copyright abolition would be wrong, but at
least I could afford it, as the practical effects on my capability to
get food, clothes and shelter would be immensely reduced.

But I'm sure that if basic income must be established to create a new
context it is because that new context is better than the current one
in GENERAL, for EVERYBODY. Not because in such a context a FEW
individuals like poets and software experts could produce poetry or
tutorials all day long for free and still get food and shelter.

> Nevertheless, for example here in Thailand, there are still a lot of
> people living according to premodern logics, not accumulation
> oriented

Another common fallacy I notice (not in you!!!) is the belief that if
one defends reformed copyright it is only because they want to become
the next pop star billionaire. I'm not "accumulation oriented". I'm
talking of paying normal households bills every month, not of buying
some 50-bedroom mansions with butler and 5000 acres private park.

Sure, I and some other billion people must struggle to do that because
the system is wrong etc. etc. but that's another issue. What I suggest
is to just defer any proposal or fight for complete copyright
abolition (no matter how noble and theoretically sound it feels) to
the day AFTER basic income has been guaranteed or a whole lot of other
things have been changed.

               Marco
--
The Online Loser Guide, 2010 edition:
http://stop.zona-m.net/node/66