Comments on: thoughts on the public domain http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/ thoughts on politics, philosophy, technology and writing Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:00:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Paula Berinstein http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1638 Wed, 28 Sep 2005 21:36:01 +0100 http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1638 Well, obviously, this is all still shaking out. I'm not suggesting that we artificially prop up businesses--I don't believe in that. But I am suggesting that just because something can be done is not always a good reason to do it. That doesn't apply to Wikipedia or Librivox, of course. Let me just mention that I would definitely not like to see any book collective linked to Amazon for reasons I won't go into here. However, hm. You've got me thinking. I wonder if this is something I should consider for The Writing Show. Do you have any thoughts on this? Well, obviously, this is all still shaking out. I’m not suggesting that we artificially prop up businesses–I don’t believe in that. But I am suggesting that just because something can be done is not always a good reason to do it. That doesn’t apply to Wikipedia or Librivox, of course.

Let me just mention that I would definitely not like to see any book collective linked to Amazon for reasons I won’t go into here. However, hm. You’ve got me thinking. I wonder if this is something I should consider for The Writing Show. Do you have any thoughts on this?

]]> by: hugh http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1557 Sun, 25 Sep 2005 21:16:51 +0100 http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1557 paula, it's a n interesting question about the "line" ... I'm not sure how to answer it exactly, but if somethings (eg writing of encyclopediae) can be best accomplished by volunteers, and provided for free, well, it seems to me that should happen. I think the good of free information to all society outweighs the livings being made by encyclopedia publishers. though here's the worry, what if wikipedia provides free "unedited" information that on balance is less-accurate than professional encyclopedia, but all the encylopedia writers go out of business? then there's a loss. But that's a different question than writers losing their incomes. maybe the encyclopedia writers will do something even more valuable and make money at it? if you look at librivox, you could argue that we might put audiobook publishers out of work (i doubt it) .. well, to me the fact of providing the content free is much more inmportant than artificially protecting a business. I think new business models will come out of all this but I don't know what it'll look like. but take google for instance. the service they provide to me is free, yet they make millions. why? well, is it possible that google-like services disseminating free art (writing, music) could generate similar revenues from, for instance, advertising, and then that $$ would be distributed to the artists who generated the traffic? I don't know if that would work, but its possible. Or, what if a collective was set up, and people pay a yearly subscription (say $50), allowing them to download as many books as they wished? or $50 = 10 downloads, $100 = unlimited, or something, plus a discount on the physical book...could be linked with amazon. and writers got paid a percentage of all revenues generated based on the number of downloads they got. itunes has shown that even if music is available free, semi/illegally, through peer-to-peer, people will still pay $1 a song (!!). I think readers would be happy to pay a certain amount if they know it supports the writers they read. I would. paula,
it’s a n interesting question about the “line” … I’m not sure how to answer it exactly, but if somethings (eg writing of encyclopediae) can be best accomplished by volunteers, and provided for free, well, it seems to me that should happen. I think the good of free information to all society outweighs the livings being made by encyclopedia publishers. though here’s the worry, what if wikipedia provides free “unedited” information that on balance is less-accurate than professional encyclopedia, but all the encylopedia writers go out of business? then there’s a loss. But that’s a different question than writers losing their incomes. maybe the encyclopedia writers will do something even more valuable and make money at it?

if you look at librivox, you could argue that we might put audiobook publishers out of work (i doubt it) .. well, to me the fact of providing the content free is much more inmportant than artificially protecting a business.

I think new business models will come out of all this but I don’t know what it’ll look like. but take google for instance. the service they provide to me is free, yet they make millions. why? well, is it possible that google-like services disseminating free art (writing, music) could generate similar revenues from, for instance, advertising, and then that $$ would be distributed to the artists who generated the traffic? I don’t know if that would work, but its possible.

Or, what if a collective was set up, and people pay a yearly subscription (say $50), allowing them to download as many books as they wished? or $50 = 10 downloads, $100 = unlimited, or something, plus a discount on the physical book…could be linked with amazon. and writers got paid a percentage of all revenues generated based on the number of downloads they got.

itunes has shown that even if music is available free, semi/illegally, through peer-to-peer, people will still pay $1 a song (!!).

I think readers would be happy to pay a certain amount if they know it supports the writers they read. I would.

]]> by: Robin http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1551 Sat, 24 Sep 2005 07:10:00 +0100 http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1551 <blockquote>« arranged around unusable/unsued public space, »</blockquote> Unsued, hey ? The typo immediately reminded me of <a>Copyrighting of public space</a>.

« arranged around unusable/unsued public space, »

Unsued, hey ? The typo immediately reminded me of Copyrighting of public space.

]]> by: Paula Berinstein http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1517 Thu, 22 Sep 2005 22:14:28 +0100 http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1517 I agree with a lot of what you say, Hugh, but I'm still wondering how people are going to make a living when everything is given away for free. Perhaps this will all shake out in a positive way, but at the moment, it's a bit scary for a lot of people. Take encyclopedia publishers, for example. These are not evil people, as far as I know. And yet they may be put out of business by the Wikipedia, or at least severely harmed. I am still wondering where one draws the line. I agree with a lot of what you say, Hugh, but I’m still wondering how people are going to make a living when everything is given away for free. Perhaps this will all shake out in a positive way, but at the moment, it’s a bit scary for a lot of people. Take encyclopedia publishers, for example. These are not evil people, as far as I know. And yet they may be put out of business by the Wikipedia, or at least severely harmed. I am still wondering where one draws the line.

]]> by: Skinner http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1511 Thu, 22 Sep 2005 13:08:19 +0100 http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1511 ...software: http://www.patternlanguage.com/leveltwo/aimsframe.htm?/leveltwo/../history/generative2.htm …software: http://www.patternlanguage.com/leveltwo/aimsframe.htm?/leveltwo/../history/generative2.htm

]]> by: Skinner http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1509 Thu, 22 Sep 2005 13:07:22 +0100 http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1509 I saw a documentary on le Corbusier--I too found his work a bit puzzling, even jarring. Buildings on hilltops with potentially gorgeous views, but instead there are only tiny windows dotting broad concrete planes. A paranoid, superprivate view, maybe, that fits with the idea of isolated sectors. I would say, though, that it worked well for a monastery he did where the result was peaceful, isolated, focused. Not to ramble too much, but I found Chris Alexander's theories to be the opposite: the intent being to encourage free-flowing public interaction, to create city spaces with well placed grocery stores, laneways, walkways, parks, markets etc so that the citizens interact. His theories are also applied to <a href="http://www.patternlanguage.com/leveltwo/aimsframe.htm?/leveltwo/../history/generative2.htm" title="software." rel="nofollow"></a> I saw a documentary on le Corbusier–I too found his work a bit puzzling, even jarring. Buildings on hilltops with potentially gorgeous views, but instead there are only tiny windows dotting broad concrete planes. A paranoid, superprivate view, maybe, that fits with the idea of isolated sectors. I would say, though, that it worked well for a monastery he did where the result was peaceful, isolated, focused.

Not to ramble too much, but I found Chris Alexander’s theories to be the opposite: the intent being to encourage free-flowing public interaction, to create city spaces with well placed grocery stores, laneways, walkways, parks, markets etc so that the citizens interact. His theories are also applied to

]]> by: hugh http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1506 Wed, 21 Sep 2005 22:08:51 +0100 http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1506 actually it's funny you say that - recipies are in fact the example richard stallman, godfather of the free software movement, uses to illustrate what's wrong with software copyright. i understood that you couldn't copyright a recipe though maybe you can? but stallman's point is that software copyright licensing fees are like going around and charging people fees everytime they make a cake based on"your" recipe. but in fact that's my point about public domain: that everything I do is based on work others have done, so to claim it completely as my own, in exclusion of the rest of the world is ridiculous. hence my problem with liberterians (fling!) ... the assumption that everything I do is completely my own, with no connection (= some sort of responsibility) with society around me. actually it’s funny you say that - recipies are in fact the example richard stallman, godfather of the free software movement, uses to illustrate what’s wrong with software copyright. i understood that you couldn’t copyright a recipe though maybe you can? but stallman’s point is that software copyright licensing fees are like going around and charging people fees everytime they make a cake based on”your” recipe.

but in fact that’s my point about public domain: that everything I do is based on work others have done, so to claim it completely as my own, in exclusion of the rest of the world is ridiculous. hence my problem with liberterians (fling!) … the assumption that everything I do is completely my own, with no connection (= some sort of responsibility) with society around me.

]]> by: Podchef http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1505 Wed, 21 Sep 2005 20:30:35 +0100 http://dosemagazine.blogsome.com/2005/09/21/thoughts-on-the-public-domain/#comment-1505 As I read this, I am reminded that recipes are really in the public domain to some extent. There are no new foods. The primary methods of preparing them, cooking them and serving them are relatively limited. 90% of the combinations we eat are all standards from a common repetoir--so why then do chefs, cookbook writers and publishers feel so compelled to copywrite their work when it is pretty much a sure thing that along the way it will be shared and spread and copied--albiet not always correctly or as the author intended? Just a thought on a grey area of intellectual property rights. . . . As I read this, I am reminded that recipes are really in the public domain to some extent. There are no new foods. The primary methods of preparing them, cooking them and serving them are relatively limited. 90% of the combinations we eat are all standards from a common repetoir–so why then do chefs, cookbook writers and publishers feel so compelled to copywrite their work when it is pretty much a sure thing that along the way it will be shared and spread and copied–albiet not always correctly or as the author intended? Just a thought on a grey area of intellectual property rights. . . .

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