Re: Google Book-Scanning Pact to Give Libraries a Say in Price - NYTimes.com

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "W. Craig Trader" <craig () trader name>
Date: May 21, 2009 6:21:00 PM EDT
To: dave () farber net
Cc: "Brett Glass" <brett () lariat net>
Subject: Re: [IP] Re:   Google Book-Scanning Pact to Give Libraries a  
Say  in Price - NYTimes.com

Brett ...

I'm astounded!

I'm read dozens of posts from you, complaining about the big-bad
telecommunications monopolies, and how the government needs to force  
those
monopolies to provide you with service at a 'fair' price.  But now that
the shoe is on the other foot, you want the government to enforce your
monopoly (as an author) and not make any changes.

Actually, I'm not astounded -- just disappointed.  Your position as an
author is the reverse of your position as a WISP, but you want it all  
your
way both times.  Good luck with that.

There is no such thing as intellectual property -- if you can't reach  
out
and touch it, it isn't property.  The copyright monopoly for creative  
work
exists to encourage people to create works that are useful to society,  
by
granting them a temporary monopoly, from which to profit.  That monopoly
was originally good for 28 years, after that the work became part of the
public domain: society's reward for allowing you to keep your monopoly.
Now that monopoly extends for the life of the creator + 75 years; what
incentive is that for a dead man to create more works?

So now the government has decided that it's in the public interest to
allow one company to index books that are still under monopoly  
protection.
If you don't like that, lobby your congressman and have him pass a law,
just like the telecoms do.


- Craig -

> Begin forwarded message:
>
> From: Brett Glass <brett () lariat net>
> Date: May 21, 2009 11:04:29 AM EDT
> To: dave () farber net, "ip" <ip () v2 listbox com>
> Subject: Re: [IP] Google Book-Scanning Pact to Give Libraries a Say in
> Price - NYTimes.com
>
> Dave, and everyone:
>
> I am astonished by the entire Google book licensing scheme.
>
> Section 8 of the US Constitution says that I, as an author, am
> entitled to be granted the exclusive rights to my work for a limited
> (although constantly expanding) period of time. It does NOT authorize
> the government to grant rights to that work to any third party. Doing
> so would not only exceed the powers granted to Congress by the
> Constitution (and thus be unconstitutional), but would also be an
> unconstitutional "taking" under the 5th Amendment.
>
> I am astonished that the government would even consider granting to a
> single corporation -- most especially Google -- the exclusive right to
> use my works without my consent. I want companies to be able to bid
> for that right. What's more, given that Google, since its merger with
> DoubleClick, is the number one source of spyware "cookies" on the
> Internet and is lobbying in DC to regulate and destroy my business as
> an ISP, Google is the company to which I would be least likely to
> agree to license my work.
>
> --Brett Glass
>
>
>
>
>
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