Quote:
Originally Posted by Morrigan
I do not understand the mentality behind those in favor of the google settlement... so perhaps someone can expalin it to me.
Why do people think they have a right to orphaned or out of print books? Which could be stated another way - why do people feel they have a right to a creation, the product of someone else's work?
And I am being serious - I simply do not get it. Why is someone's desire to read a book more important than then the creators of the books to decide how (or how not) to make it available?
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In general, once someone's idea is out in the world, it immediately becomes public property. Copyright is an utilitarian mechanism employed to encourage creators to create more for the benefit of the society as a whole - a neccessary lesser evil. There's no such thing as inherent "right" to an idea.
I highly recommend you to read Eric Flint's series of articles on copyright and drm, linked to from here:
http://www.ericflint.net/index.php/2...and-copyright/ He explains it much better than I can.