3 ms·

I can think of few laws less arbitrary than “you pay money to obtain goods”

add-sub-mul-div 2y ago
Sir, this is a vibes-based forum where the fundamental human rights are getting whatever can be represented as bits for free and being able to do your job from home.
- Joker_vD 2y ago
  So there is this obscure book that was printed in 1971 in a run of 10K copies and never has been reprinted, the publisher has been obtained by the Elsevier in 1992, the author has died in 2003. Whom do I pay to read this, except the local library to maybe get it via ILL after half a year of waiting? It would be very nice if those huge copyright-holding publishing megahouses provided print-on-demand service but they generally don't, they are more focused on trying to make reselling of used books a punishable crime.
  - devilbunny 2y ago
    I doubt they even could for a book from 1971; word processors and computerized layout that could really handle a book were still in the future. Even in 1981, TeX was only 3 years old. I imagine any masters for it were destroyed, lost, or melted down in the intervening 50+ years. So the best anyone, even the publisher, could do would be to ask the Library of Congress for a photocopy. However, I firmly agree that not providing it for sale at a reasonable rate (no higher than the original sale price of a generally-available hardback edition, adjusted for inflation) should end copyright. You made it, you released it, you wanted to profit from it: fine. You own those rights for a long time: don't like it, but not really what I want to argue. You're embarassed by it and don't want anyone to know you published it: hey, man, if you sold it to the public, ever, you put it out there, and if you later decide you don't want to any more, well, you should not have published and taken advantage of copyright protection.
spondylosaurus 2y ago
Copyright laws are pretty arbitrary, especially in the US. And we'll randomly extend copyright terms to appease megacorporations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act
jrm4 2y ago
Wow. Found the guy that actually wouldn't download a car.
- lelandfe 2y ago
  Would if I could. I’m sure there are cool free car plans to be downloaded out there. Coming across one that’s being sold and shaking one’s fist decrying the price as evil and arbitrary is silly.

Sir, this is a vibes-based forum where the fundamental human rights are getting whatever can be represented as bits for free and being able to do your job from home.

Joker_vD 2y ago
So there is this obscure book that was printed in 1971 in a run of 10K copies and never has been reprinted, the publisher has been obtained by the Elsevier in 1992, the author has died in 2003. Whom do I pay to read this, except the local library to maybe get it via ILL after half a year of waiting? It would be very nice if those huge copyright-holding publishing megahouses provided print-on-demand service but they generally don't, they are more focused on trying to make reselling of used books a punishable crime.
- devilbunny 2y ago
  I doubt they even could for a book from 1971; word processors and computerized layout that could really handle a book were still in the future. Even in 1981, TeX was only 3 years old. I imagine any masters for it were destroyed, lost, or melted down in the intervening 50+ years. So the best anyone, even the publisher, could do would be to ask the Library of Congress for a photocopy. However, I firmly agree that not providing it for sale at a reasonable rate (no higher than the original sale price of a generally-available hardback edition, adjusted for inflation) should end copyright. You made it, you released it, you wanted to profit from it: fine. You own those rights for a long time: don't like it, but not really what I want to argue. You're embarassed by it and don't want anyone to know you published it: hey, man, if you sold it to the public, ever, you put it out there, and if you later decide you don't want to any more, well, you should not have published and taken advantage of copyright protection.

spondylosaurus 2y ago

Copyright laws are pretty arbitrary, especially in the US. And we'll randomly extend copyright terms to appease megacorporations. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_Term_Extension_Act

jrm4 2y ago

Wow. Found the guy that actually wouldn't download a car.

lelandfe 2y ago
Would if I could. I’m sure there are cool free car plans to be downloaded out there. Coming across one that’s being sold and shaking one’s fist decrying the price as evil and arbitrary is silly.