[IP] more Google

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Mike Godwin <mnemonic@well.com>
Date: November 4, 2005 7:11:43 PM EST
To: dave@farber.net, ip@v2.listbox.com
Subject: Re: [IP] more Google


Dan Steinberg writes:

> Google: give us back our choice.  Even if it's just for show.  Even  
> if only one person makes use of it.  That is the way to do it.

This of course is hugely misrepresentative of the legal issues  
involved.  Much of copyright law involves the recognition of rights  
that are not subject to the creator's (or rightsholder's) choice.  If  
their choice were all that mattered, copyright law would be simple.   
But copyright law is expressly created to benefit the public, and not  
to give rightsholders' "choice."  To the extent that copyright owners  
have rights, it's in service of a higher good that belongs to all of  
us (including, by the way, Google).


--Mike Godwin
Attorney
Research Scientist, Yale University


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