this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2024
279 points (94.9% liked)

Technology

59378 readers
2889 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

We need more examples?

Seriously, though, there are options in between keeping copyright as it is and removing it altogether. Shortening the term is one. Mandatory mechanical licensing is another (that is, allowing people to make copies for a fee set by the government or a nonpartisan board without requiring permission from the copyright owner, who does, however, receive the fee—the trick is setting the fee at a level that makes it reasonable for the average person making a single copy, but still high enough to make it unattractive for corporations churning out millions of them). We also need to overhaul how derivative works are handled, and some aspects of trademark law.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Another option is to not allow copying of digital copyrighted works, but do allow resale/gifting and require storefronts to offer something like that. I can do that with physical goods, and that's most of the reason I'd want to copy a copyrighted work (e.g. to send to a friend).

I think trademark law is generally fine as-is, but patent and copyright law are atrocious. My proposal:

  • cut copyright to the original 14 year term (or perhaps 10), and allow a one-time renewal if you can prove financial hardship (e.g. small creators who didn't get traction with their product)
  • cut patents to 7 years, and allow a one-time renewal of 5 years when going to market (so max 12 years if it takes 7 years to bring a product to market); maybe an exception if the product is stuck with regulators
  • don't require lawsuits to keep trademark, only require filing of a potential violation with the trademark office; you can sue, but that shouldn't be necessary to "defend" your trademark
[–] [email protected] 20 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Well, I guess we'll never see any developments in mathematics or theoretical physics. No copyright there except journals paywalling our work and paying us absolutely nothing. Oh wait...

We live in an era of copyblight - it's an era we won't leave until the caveman mentality of "this mine, no touch or I hurt" fizzles out. Give it another 5000 or so years maybe?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

The thing that will bring down the copywrite system will be countries without copywrite making enforcement impossible.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Don't the forget the extortionate textbooks gatekeeping who can understand the extortionate journals.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 4 months ago

It's just th enclosure continuing in the non-physical space.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 months ago

Well I for one have never heard about anybody doing anything creative without being paid for it.
/s

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago

Any monopoly incentive does, it's the same in developing countries with monopolized industries - people need them, so they keep paying, people don't have choice, so they don't leave, and no competition arises because of cronyism.

Thus, say, utility companies in Armenia are such crap. Actually any companies in Armenia, it's thoroughly oligopolized to the degree that locals think it's all fine, because it's all the same. Living in Armenia is as expensive as living near Moscow, while wages, eh, are definitely not the same. What I don't understand is the locals' stubborn belief that they can make things better without changing the society where oligopolies, things working via acquaintances, theft being socially acceptable, bendable rules and no responsibility are usual ; I suspect envy for people explaining why they can't is a reason too.

Why did I type this ...

load more comments
view more: next ›