Re: [ARSCLIST] New U.S. Copyright Laws

[Karl Miller <lyaa071@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Wed, 3 May 2006, steven c wrote:

> I think what the music industry is hoping for some sort of implanted
> microchip that can identify not only when the installee is listening
> to music...but can also, using non-audible identifying data, report
> back the identity of the music along with any parties that are supposed
> to be paid any royalties.
>
> There are a few bugs still to be worked out, though...here in Toronto
> everyone who heard a streetcar ringing its gong was billed for royalties
> due the publisher of "The Trolley Song"...along with still confusing
> "Clair de Lune" with "Night and Day"...

The more I have been thinking about this...well I wrote my
Congressman...he is on one of the subcommittes on intellectual property
rights...as I was writing I was rather oddly reminded of those who believe
that curing cancer would be bad for the economy since it would have the
potential to dismantle and industry which has evolved to reach that end.
Similarly I thought that having a rational approach to the copyrights
which provides reasonable protection for those who own copyrights, and
reasonable access to the rest of us, would be counter productive for the
industries that come into being which attempt to "cure" the ills created
by the US copyrights...the lawyers, the watchdog organizations like ERMA,
etc.

>From one of my congressman's (I say my, because he is from Texas) recent
speeches, "However, my primary goal is to provide for an efficient
intellectual property system. In the copyright system this means that
theft is treated as theft and those who distribute burglary tools are
penalized under our nations laws."

I emailed him something to the effect that if someone uses a hammer to
break a window while breaking into a house, should we penalize
those who make hammers. I didn't get a reply. I don't fault him for making
such a blanket statement, for it would seem that these matters have
reached the point of the absurd...yet I do wonder, could any of us come up
with a reasonable law which could be enforced.

It also seems odd to me that the only places that are relatively copyright
concious are libraries...places which are supposed to provide free access!
Seems like there is something of a contradiction in there somewhere, but
maybe it is just my odd way of looking at things.

Karl