OT: Copyright, was Re: Paypal WAS: PostgreSQL speakers needed for OSCON

Hi Robert;

The problem I see it with the viewpoint you have mentioned here is that
infringing on the record label's copyright doesn't do an adequate job of
furthering an alternative system-- it only draws a line in the sand which
will cause more grief for consumers. BTW, I don't believe that the RIAA is
correct that their revenues are dropping due to piracy. I think that their
revenues are dropping because an alienated user base doesn't want to support
them by buying their products!

The answer is not to pirate music, but rather to do the open source thing
and support open content. Same thing with software. The single biggest
obstacle to acceptance of open source software in most of the world is the
quantity of pirated software out there. Piracy isn't the solution--
constructing an alternate system and forcing the RIAA to learn the HARD
lesson is... I actually think that their actions will signal the beginning
fo the end for record labels in general...

I also would be opposed to distributing open source software via Kazaa, for
these reasons. ANd no, I generally do not pay for software.

Best Wishes,
Chris Travers
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Treat" <xzilla(at)users(dot)sourceforge(dot)net>
To: "Joshua D. Drake" <jd(at)commandprompt(dot)com>; <keith(at)vcsn(dot)com>
Cc: "Josh Berkus" <josh(at)agliodbs(dot)com>; "Dan Langille" <dan(at)langille(dot)org>;
<pgsql-advocacy(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 07, 2004 9:09 AM
Subject: Re: [pgsql-advocacy] Paypal WAS: PostgreSQL speakers needed for
OSCON

> On Tuesday 06 January 2004 18:51, Joshua D. Drake wrote:
> > >True or not, the copywrite infringement is a problem and there are
digital
> > >fingerprinting technologies that could be implemented (and are on other
> > > system) the could at least cut done the amount of piracy.
> >
> > I doubt it. People will always break it. Frankly I own every MP3 I have.
> > The reality is, people aren't honest.
> <snip>
> > The problem is not the technology. The problem is the inherit feeling
> > within humans that they somehow deserve
> > something, regardless (yes I am being generalistic) of whether or not
> > they have earned it. So you get this mindset
> > that says, well only one mp3 won't hurt an artist, only one album won't
> > hurt and artist, hell that artist made 20 million
> > last year and the cd is over priced... I will just download it.
> >
>
> Or maybe some people arn't in favor of corporation owning our culture.
Maybe
> they realize that companies take and take and take from the "public
domain"
> of information and try to rebrand it until they own it. Maybe people are
> tired of the fact that we can't get a decent perscription drug/ secured
> border / retirement solution / insert your social cause here but we seem
to
> have no trouble passing laws like the DMCA and Sonny Bono Act. Maybe some
> people see people building operating systems better than the biggest
> commercial companies and so they no longer believe that we can't have
quality
> music/movies/books without locking it out of reach for generations to
come.
> Heck I bet some people don't even believe in the idea of owning
information.
> Maybe those people downloading them are hoping that thier acts of civil
> disobediance might lead to a cultural revolution that puts people ahead of
> the bottom line.
>
> Or maybe not.
>
> Robert Treat
> --
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