google and that whole scanning books drama

[danceswithwaves]

A flyby post, as I'm behind in my homework schedule.  I hadn't been following the google book drama intensively, due to homework and time, lack of direct consequences to me, and lack of perceived personal impact on said situation.  Nevertheless, here is a new outlook on the situation, one I hadn't seen in my original skimming of events, penned by

Comments

[londubh]

Thank you, i didn't realize that in order to be copyrighted something used to have to be submitted. It really cheeses me how copyright's changed. I almost wish we could go back to 14 years (with a possible extension to 28), or possibly Author's life + 1 year, or 80 years, which ever is Shorter.

relevant to the discussion
http://randomfoo.net/oscon/2002/lessig/free.html

[danceswithwaves]

I agree. As another suggestion, copyright could be a shortish amount of time (say 14 years, or 20 as a round number) with possible extension to author's life + 1 year. I don't think copyright should be much longer than an author's life because it's the author's work, not someone else's.

I listened to the link when you posted it on fb. I remember thinking it was interesting, but I wasn't sure what he wanted as a replacement for what has now become copyright. If we went back to the "copyright only covers publishing another's work" then we have to define what is publishing. With modern abilities there may be options to "publish" something that wasn't defined as "publishing" years ago.