tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post9098699116280917750..comments2024-03-25T09:56:16.164+00:00Comments on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: Copyright. It's a piece of cake - John DoughertyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-15777613511982926192015-05-01T12:32:06.888+01:002015-05-01T12:32:06.888+01:00Why am I leaving a comment? You put it so perfectl...Why am I leaving a comment? You put it so perfectly no comments are neededPatrice Aggsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-51844762990860517082015-05-01T05:34:00.845+01:002015-05-01T05:34:00.845+01:00Hi, er, Anonymous. Can you explain in that case wh...Hi, er, Anonymous. Can you explain in that case why a Green Party spokesperson is quoted by both The Telegraph and The Guardian as confirming that the policy meant 14 years after publication? Or why the Green Party hasn't amended the <a href="http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/ec.html#IntProp" rel="nofollow">policy wording</a> to reflect what you say was actually meant? <br /><br />I'm glad the party is looking at this, and hope that whatever they come up with at the very least does not risk weakening the rights of creators.John Doughertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937505376169411724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-31222201995798278402015-05-01T00:47:11.247+01:002015-05-01T00:47:11.247+01:00Just to be clear, this was a miscommunication.
Cu...Just to be clear, this was a miscommunication.<br /><br />Current Green Party long term policy debated and voted on by the members is for 14 years AFTER DEATH of the creator. <br /><br />However, the manifesto has a slightly different pledge - to overhaul the copyright laws and bring them up to date. Something that's desperately needed. <br /><br />A working group has already started looking into a suitable new policy to put to debate at the next conference, and any actual changes to law, should the GP be in a position to make any, would do done only after extensive consulatation with any interested parties. But with the interests of creators and the common good over those of corporations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-79778995419529258762015-04-30T20:53:24.814+01:002015-04-30T20:53:24.814+01:00Hi, Katherine. Actually, I hope the Greens won'...Hi, Katherine. Actually, I hope the Greens won't lose votes over this - from their responses, it looks as if they accept this may be a mistake along the lines of the dreadfully embarrassing pseudo-scientific policies they once held but have now disavowed (see Tom Chance's blog, linked above).<br /><br />In fact, I'm probably going to vote Green myself this time round - overall, they do represent my view best. John Doughertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937505376169411724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-88527730982210058952015-04-30T18:52:14.413+01:002015-04-30T18:52:14.413+01:00Thanks John, I didn't know about this... it...Thanks John, I didn't know about this... it's not very well publicised. And to think I once sort of almost thought about voting Green - not any more!Katherine Robertshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-22143644510639095522015-04-30T10:36:35.261+01:002015-04-30T10:36:35.261+01:00Best description of this I've read. The proble...Best description of this I've read. The problem with 14 years even after death is that they clearly have no notion of the glacially slow pace of - for example - film companies. (And seem never to have heard of the Berne Convention either, to which we are signatories, but that's another matter!) A single example: the rights to Winnie the Pooh, sold to Disney for many millions, have since then funded hundreds of writers and many thousands of students with help for all kinds of academic (not creative) writing, via the Royal Literary Fund. I helped everyone from Nursing students to Education students during my stint and like to think that I did some good. Sometimes a great deal of good when young people were clearly under stress. Now they are also developing a reading programme in areas of social deprivation. Given a 14 year after death copyright term, any big foreign corporation would have waited a bit while developing ideas on the quiet, and then stepped in, said 'thank-you very much' and taken a massive freebie. Good that they are open to rethinking, but such ignorance does seem culpable. Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-20421630166134888532015-04-29T13:54:15.460+01:002015-04-29T13:54:15.460+01:00Perhaps woolly thinking is an unavoidable side eff...Perhaps woolly thinking is an unavoidable side effect of good intentions. Selfishly motivated people are never less than crystal clear about what it is they want, and nor do they ever forget the figures.Nick Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08191176209084540085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-65030867699902558872015-04-29T13:46:32.037+01:002015-04-29T13:46:32.037+01:00Thanks, everyone, for your kind comments. It's...Thanks, everyone, for your kind comments. It's great to be posting on ABBA again after a few months off!<br /><br />Nick - there has been a lot of confusion over the Green Party stance. As Sarah McIntyre pointed out, whatever the policy was <i>meant</i> to say, what it actually <i>says</i> is '14 years'. And at least one official Green Party spokesperson has told the press that that means 14 years after publication.<br /><br />However, I am impressed that the official response is of the "Whoops! We may have to rethink this" variety, which makes a refreshing change. And I do hope the Greens don't lose votes over this - it's not actually in their manifesto; it's a long-term policy aim. And as Tom Chance says in his blogpost (linked above), it's from the same era as some rather silly "science"policies that they've since reviewed, following criticism from scientists. So they're willing to listen to the experts.John Doughertyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11937505376169411724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-12958484528156709632015-04-29T12:43:00.419+01:002015-04-29T12:43:00.419+01:00p.s. Just looked it up. Apparently the proposed po...p.s. Just looked it up. Apparently the proposed policy is 14 years after death, not 14 years after publication. Although typically the Green Party themselves took ages to confirm which it was as they all seemed thoroughly confused and in the dark (must be the energy-saving bulbs, sorry, cheap shot).<br /><br />That's slightly less crazy, but still problematic, as writers have families who might want to benefit from ongoing royalties if they exist.<br /><br />Let's face it, it's not going to happen. The same arguments stand against piracy and free downloads, though.Nick Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08191176209084540085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-68965642528548050912015-04-29T12:32:21.534+01:002015-04-29T12:32:21.534+01:00Aaaah, John, you just disagreed with the Green Par...Aaaah, John, you just disagreed with the Green Party, which makes you an eco-terrorist who drowns polar bears in oil. You want to have your cake and eat it...<br /><br />I must say I'd never heard of that deranged policy. Bizarre what you discover when you dig down into the manifestos. It disturbs me, because now I'm associating raving lunacy with a party that otherwise has some good ideas (like, not destroying the planet). That such ideas should go hand-in-hand is very worrying. The idiocy of the copyright proposal tarnishes them all.<br /><br />I'm off to buy a 4x4. Well I would if I could afford it. <br /><br />(Actually wouldn't).Nick Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08191176209084540085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-87041780718000520542015-04-29T11:33:02.607+01:002015-04-29T11:33:02.607+01:00John an absolutely brilliant piece! I hope it gets...John an absolutely brilliant piece! I hope it gets picked up by the newspapers. You are spot on... funny too. It deserves airing. Dianne Hofmeyrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18222157214605257030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-65899047593894541582015-04-29T10:38:44.256+01:002015-04-29T10:38:44.256+01:00Hooray! Spot on.Hooray! Spot on.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-45212681599642864782015-04-29T10:32:03.964+01:002015-04-29T10:32:03.964+01:00Brilliant John.
Thanks!Brilliant John. <br /><br />Thanks!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01846839494891623600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-12146046674934685172015-04-29T10:18:13.767+01:002015-04-29T10:18:13.767+01:00I actually just cheered. Brilliantly put!I actually just cheered. Brilliantly put!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-83898918908432197342015-04-29T09:50:49.032+01:002015-04-29T09:50:49.032+01:00Copyright is what allows the freedoms of the Inter...Copyright is what allows the freedoms of the Internet (excepting piracy.) All of the licenses that allow open publication of content -- free, open source and creative commons -- are copyright licenses that depend on the continuance of copyright to function. Without copyright there would be no Internet.Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09799125598133377058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-90724499544162701102015-04-29T09:06:37.359+01:002015-04-29T09:06:37.359+01:00Thanks for putting it so well -Thanks for putting it so well -Joan Lennonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15763862159032836768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-69229337333769499032015-04-29T08:55:26.487+01:002015-04-29T08:55:26.487+01:00Very good piece, John. And in fact, why not extend...Very good piece, John. And in fact, why not extend the principle to all property rights? "You've been driving this car for a few years now, so isn't it time you let someone else have it?"<br /><br />The only difference - and I think this confuses some people - is that unlike stealing a car or a sideboard that you've knocked up in carpentry class, downloading a copy of your book doesn't deprive you of your book (it's just a copy, after all...), but only of the income you might otherwise have derived from it. I suspect that's why some people seem to think it's a victimless crime, which it manifestly isn't. That, combined with the attitude you quoted here: "If you write a book and after 14 years you haven’t made enough money, maybe you should write another book", about which the kindest thing I can say is that it's, er, ignorant about the economics of writing.Catherine Butlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17693526864905868829noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-14816122504192600632015-04-29T06:54:29.457+01:002015-04-29T06:54:29.457+01:00Ah, there is no need for any comments, John, as th...Ah, there is no need for any comments, John, as this is *exactly* it and you have have said it so well.<br /> <br />Would you like some cake? Adele G is over the road and she makes excellent cake...Stroppy Authorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560035800075465845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7780182174577095197.post-81131007558157972242015-04-29T06:27:58.260+01:002015-04-29T06:27:58.260+01:00Nice way to put it. And you hear the same tiresome...Nice way to put it. And you hear the same tiresome arguments time after time. Like, "Knowledge should be free!" and "Hey, it will get you lots of publicity!" During the Napster business one of our students was grumbling about no more freebies. "But I BUY CDs!" he argued. I asked him if he bought CDs of the music he had downloaded free from Napster and he admitted he didn't. People who wouldn't dream of shoplifting think it's okay to shoplift books from online. <br /><br />Every time I see one of my books offered free online I see red!Sue Bursztynskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09362273418897882971noreply@blogger.com