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Re: [PGCanada] !@!Re: [Upd-discuss] New report recommends tough action to tackle piractes
by Wallace J.McLean 13 Dec '04

13 Dec '04

----- Original Message ----- From: Michael Hart <hart(a)pglaf.org> Date: Monday, December 13, 2004 11:28 am Subject: [PGCanada] !@!Re: [Upd-discuss] New report recommends tough action to tackle piractes > > What WE need to do is introduce "copyright reform" to > enourage the preservation of culture / the public domain. > > Without copyright reform nothing in the future will go > into the public domain. Then this is a political battle, and we need allies and foot-soldiers. The foot-soldiers should and could be the people who have an interest in preserving and promoting public-domain works. For this reason -- among many others -- we really need to set up a worldwide network of PG-50, PG-60, and PG-70 libraries, and SOON. Like, five years ago soon.

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!@!Re: [Upd-discuss] New report recommends tough action to tackle piractes
by Michael Hart 13 Dec '04

13 Dec '04

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004, James Davis wrote: > I won't particularly go into detail this press release from the British > Film Council, that's a bit off topic here. For the full press release > visit. > > http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/news/ > > What's of note, is the recommendation of the report... > > "Increasing co-operation with the EU and international trade organisations > to encourage better intellectual property rights across the world." > > I can imagine that in the near future we'll see the UK Film Council > pushing for the extension of copyright. "Better" copyright ALWAYS equals "LONGER" copyright in contexts written by WIPO and the publishing industry. What WE need to do is introduce "copyright reform" to enourage the preservation of culture / the public domain. Without copyright reform nothing in the future will go into the public domain.

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!@!Re: [Upd-discuss] New report recommends tough action to tackle piractes [sic]
by Michael Hart 13 Dec '04

13 Dec '04

On Mon, 13 Dec 2004, James Davis wrote: > I won't particularly go into detail this press release from the British > Film Council, that's a bit off topic here. For the full press release > visit. > > http://www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/news/ > > What's of note, is the recommendation of the report... > > "Increasing co-operation with the EU and international trade organisations > to encourage better intellectual property rights across the world." > > I can imagine that in the near future we'll see the UK Film Council > pushing for the extension of copyright. "Better" copyright ALWAYS equals "LONGER" copyright in contexts written by WIPO and the publishing industry. What WE need to do is introduce "copyright reform" to enourage the preservation of culture / the public domain. Without copyright reform nothing in the future will go into the public domain.

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(no subject)
by Michael Hart 10 Dec '04

10 Dec '04

volume book scanning "in-library" project at the University of Toronto. http://www.archive.org/texts/collection.php?collection=toronto

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Re: [PGCanada] Movement?
by Wallace J.McLean 10 Dec '04

10 Dec '04

> I think there are nearly 75 countries doing +50, I can send a list, > that is probably outdated already, if you like. I have just over 75; my list (culled from the web) is, like you suggest, probably outdated, and I've been trying to supplement it with research at the WIPO and UNESCO web sites.

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Re: [PGCanada] Movement?
by Wallace J.McLean 10 Dec '04

10 Dec '04

----- Original Message ----- From: Carlo Traverso <traverso(a)dm.unipi.it> > You might consider to cooperate with PG-EUROPA, that is located in > Serbia, under life+50 rules. They plan starting in a few days. > Contact Zoran Stefanovic <zstefanovic(a)rastko.net> Carlo, a big grazie for the heads-up on the Serbian effort. Zoran, would you be interested in at least lurking on the pgcanada list, or otherwise keeping me (or us) up to speed as to what you are doing in those last remaining islands[A] of life+50 in Europe? Hvala! [Footnote A: Actually, I've been doing some interesting research on the breakdown, which countries are life+70 or more, which are life+50 or less. The life+70 club is actually barely 20% of the world's population, and that's counting some countries which have promised, but not yet actually legislated, life+70. Life+50 is about 55%, and counting India, with its eccentric life+60, and the few countries with shorter terms, 2/3 of the world lives -- and creates -- with less than life+70 years of copyright. The international standard is not, despite what the propogandists will have you believe, life+70.]

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Movement?
by Wallace J.McLean 10 Dec '04

10 Dec '04

So... how quickly can we establish a public domain e-library, operating under Canadian copyright rules, on Canadian soil? I guess 2004 is out... how soon into 2005 can we do it? What are the first steps? I will foolishly volunteer to do CR clearances for existing PG texts under Canuckistan CR law. How do we start processing new works that are eligible under Canadian rules, esp. those that aren't under PG/US rules? I'm not a techie, just an idea guy. Techies? End of January? I have some other things to say, but again: openly-archived lists. I'm not going to draw fire from enemies of the public domain, not just yet.

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Re: [PGCanada] Copyright revision....
by Wallace J.McLean 08 Dec '04

08 Dec '04

----- Original Message ----- From: Russell McOrmond <russell(a)flora.ca> Date: Wednesday, December 8, 2004 5:55 pm Subject: [PGCanada] Copyright revision.... > I guess I worry if we have too many forums with overlapping work > thatless will get done than if we kept to project-based forums. The process of deciding this-topic-belongs-in-this-forum is, in itself, work. Too much structure is itself a time-waster. Real-life conversations are allowed to meander; I have no objections to on-line ones doing the same, within reason. Projects Gutenberg are tied at the waist to copyright issues; let's not try to divorce the topics. I think we can all walk and chew gum at the same time. That being said, yes, I second the plug for PG-ers who are interested in CR issues to join the DCC or other lists.

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More Copyright Bias
by Michael Hart 08 Dec '04

08 Dec '04

BRITISH PROGRAM TEACHES SCHOOLCHILDREN ABOUT COPYRIGHT British Music Rights (BMR), a group that represents songwriters and composers, is sponsoring a program to educate British schoolchildren between the ages of 11 and 14 about copyright and music piracy. The group has put together education packs that include lessons about copyright, royalties, and downloading music on the Internet, as well as how these issues affect the creation of original work. Music piracy in the United Kingdom is blamed for a steady decline in recent years in CD sales and for significant financial losses to recording companies and to artists and songwriters. In addition to limiting copyright violations, the education packs, which have been requested by more than 1,600 schools, are designed to prepare children for possible careers in the music industry. Guy Chambers, one of the songwriters who has publicly supported the BMR campaign, said the education packs will help shield young people who might pursue a career in the music industry from "unscrupulous" individuals. BBC, 30 November 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4055753.stm

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Public Domain Loses Again!
by Michael Hart 06 Dec '04

06 Dec '04

JUDGE REJECTS COPYRIGHT CHALLENGE A federal judge has rejected a challenge to several parts of copyright law that plaintiffs in the case said unnecessarily keep certain works out of the public domain. The nonprofit Internet Archive and the Prelinger Archives argued that so-called orphan works--books that are out of print, old films, and academic articles without significant commercial value--should be easier to archive and make publicly available. At issue in the case was the plaintiffs' contention that current law fundamentally alters the scope of copyright because it does not require owners of works to apply for copyright protection, instead granting protection irrespective of whether it is sought. The judge in the case disagreed, issuing her ruling without hearing arguments. Jennifer S. Granick, executive director of the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford University, which was involved on behalf of the plaintiffs, said the judge's ruling was improper and that the plaintiffs would appeal. Chronicle of Higher Education, 30 November 2004 (sub. req'd) http://chronicle.com/prm/daily/2004/11/2004113003n.htm

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