[PGCanada] Introducing... Vasa

Michael Lockey mlockey at honson.com
Sat Dec 4 00:07:40 PST 2004


Hi:

Unaware of this list, I've been doing my own private plotting, and would 
like to run my thoughts past you.  (This comes with the standard 
Canadian Disclaimer about not stepping on feet, embarrassment at being 
egotistical enough to make suggestions, etc., etc., etc)

I've been proofreading and mentoring at DP-INT and -EU for 16 months or 
so, and have shared many of the fears and uncertainties about the future 
of Public Domain.

It is interesting and frightening to see how one (relatively) small 
country can unilaterally change Copyright, then cajole their 'friends' 
until a global result is achieved, despite the opposition of most.  (I 
note parentherically that most of the world is Life+50.)

I have, consequently, incorporated Distributed Proofreaders of Canada as 
a for profit concern; I also own dp50.net.  (Quite frankly, I don't 
think we should be jingoistic in any of our endeavours.)

I don't think that Disney Corporation- or even Margaret Atwood, God help 
us!- are ameniable to the rights of humanity, or such: I think we must 
fight them on their grounds: money, control, and power.

Which is why DP-CAN is a for-profit operation.  (Remember that a 
corporation may give away any amount of its profit.)  To download a work 
from DP-CAN (www.dp50.net) will cost $1/download, payable, by the 
downloader, to any registered or non-registered operation or individual, 
as a charitable donation.  In this way, DP-CAN will never directly 
receive any money, though both a gross and net income may be 
established.  If, then, the government tries to reprivatize materials 
currently in PD, we will suffer a loss and be able to sue for damages.  
My lawyer and I are prepared to go to the Supreme Court, if necessary.

Where I, personally, want to be challenging is by claiming, (as our 
charter does), rights of use for any material- globally- that is 
currently in the Public Domain in Canada.  (As, for example, an 
individual or corporation may claim mineral rights without doing any 
work on them for up to 15 years.)

Anyway- that's what I've been working on.  My sites are not yet viable: 
I'm working alone, so far.  Given the activities going on here, maybe 
I'll need to change some directions.  But I've structured this to FIGHT: 
and fight I will.  Hence the Company's Motto:

THE BOOK STOPS HERE


Cheers, Vasa (Michael Lockey)



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