[IP] more on "Google Print" and Ethics

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: John R Levine <johnl@iecc.com>
Date: August 13, 2005 9:48:04 PM EDT
To: Karl Auerbach <karl@cavebear.com>
Cc: David Farber <dave@farber.net>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on "Google Print" and Ethics


> But to change the subject slightly - I've become concerned with how
> search engine companies are making a buck off of web-based works
> without letting the authors share in the wealth.

Yup, that's how it's supposed to work.

The point of copyright is not to guarantee authors a cut every time
someone looks at a word they wrote.  It's to get material into the hands
of the public.  The limited rights granted by copyright are the  
carrot to
persuade authors to publish rather than selling individually licensed
copies of their work.  The leakage due to first sale and fair use is an
integral part of copyright.

People have been making directories of various sorts for centuries, long
before there were computers.  This isn't a new question, and the answer
hasn't changed just because it's become more automated.  (The only major
change I can think of in recent years is the Feist decision which says
that originality as well as effort are required to make something
copyrightable.)

I have seen occasional sabers rattled with claims like this, but none of
them has gone anywhere.

Regards,
John Levine, johnl@iecc.com, Primary Perpetrator of "The Internet for  
Dummies",
Information Superhighwayman wanna-be, http://iecc.com/johnl, Mayor
"I dropped the toothpaste", said Tom, crestfallenly.


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