Leslie Carr wrote:
> You are right (I think) about the COPYright.
> Unfortunately, in the digital domain, you can do nothing with anything
> unless you copy it.
> In particular, you can't put your paper in the attic (allowed by
> copyright), you can only copy it to the server in the attic
> (prohibited by copyright).
You can believe that if you want and lose all access to your own papers.
No reasonable person will interpret copyright so narrowly. I am aware of
no precedent - in a field replete with precedents - that would support
such an interpretation. And in some jurisdictions (such as Canada) the
law explicitly allows you to make backup copies of digital material you
own.
I mean, think about it. If copyright were so narrow, you could not even
*view* material you own, because in order to view it, a copy of the
material stored on DVD or CD must be copied to your screen (and,
presumably, at some point in the process, to the hard drive and to RAM).
Unless the very operation of your computer is illegal, 'copyright' must
refer to some form of distribution of the material, and not merely
normal use of the material in your own home. And it is surprising - and
unreasonable - to interpret it any other way.
-- Stephen
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Stephen Downes ~ Researcher ~ National Research Council Canada
http://www.downes.ca ~ [log in to unmask] ** Free Learning
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