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I didn't say "copyright law and morality are unrelated." Everything is related to morality at some level, so I don't think it adds anything interesting to say t

by kijin 9y ago

I didn't say "copyright law and morality are unrelated." Everything is related to morality at some level, so I don't think it adds anything interesting to say that copyright is either related or unrelated to morality in that roundabout way. I said "Copyright is not about morality." Copyright is about promoting creativity first and foremost. It has zero moral value apart from whatever starlight it might reflect from the more fundamental value of creativity when it's in the right point along its orbit (when it works effectively). Suppose you're building a startup to help poor people. That's obviously about morality. But how about your choice of javascript framework? You just use whatever floats your MVP without torturing your devs too much. And as soon as it outlives its usefulness, you can throw it away without a second thought and there's nothing morality has to say about it.

smallnamespace 9y ago
I think where I depart from your analogy is that copyright law has been explicitly framed and discussed using the language of morality by both proponents and opponents. E.g. copyright maximalists say that pirates are thieves, that they unjustly take from content creators what is rightfully theirs. Copyright opponents will say that this is a cash grab by greedy corporations, that this will destroy the freedom of the web, etc. Theft, destroying freedom -- these are explicitly moral claims. You might be right that morality is not the appropriate framework with which to think about copyright, and I tend to agree, although that certainly hasn't stopped both sides from harnessing moral outrage to buttress their viewpoints.
- kijin 9y ago
  There are different ways to relate something to morality. The maximalists claim that copyright violation is identical to theft, whereas their opponents claim that copyright law is being used to make huge profits and destroy freedom. The former puts copyright at the center of the moral spotlight, but the latter pushes it aside and helps us see that justice and freedom are the true moral issues.

by kijin 9y ago

smallnamespace 9y ago

I think where I depart from your analogy is that copyright law has been explicitly framed and discussed using the language of morality by both proponents and opponents. E.g. copyright maximalists say that pirates are thieves, that they unjustly take from content creators what is rightfully theirs. Copyright opponents will say that this is a cash grab by greedy corporations, that this will destroy the freedom of the web, etc. Theft, destroying freedom -- these are explicitly moral claims. You might be right that morality is not the appropriate framework with which to think about copyright, and I tend to agree, although that certainly hasn't stopped both sides from harnessing moral outrage to buttress their viewpoints.

kijin 9y ago
There are different ways to relate something to morality. The maximalists claim that copyright violation is identical to theft, whereas their opponents claim that copyright law is being used to make huge profits and destroy freedom. The former puts copyright at the center of the moral spotlight, but the latter pushes it aside and helps us see that justice and freedom are the true moral issues.