Eminent Domain For Knowledge

[Giggleton]

Greetings,

I was just wondering at what point does the knowledge contained within an ebook become so valuable as to invoke eminent domain, meaning the public has a right to appropiate the content of said ebook for the public good?

As for myself I view all books as equally valuable and all should therefore be freely shared.

What would it take for a reasonable/logical person to invoke the public's right to knowledge in the ebook form?

Please consider that it might be difficult to gauge the worth of a particular text if you do not have the resources (monetary or otherwise) to access the text.

Is a fixed term copyright enough to ensure access to all knowledge for everyone?

Surely there should be exceptions if we are to continue the copyright regime. "Scientific/Technical" books are easy to make exceptions for because of their inherently educational nature, but the fictional narrative has been argued as being educational as well, perhaps even more so.

Does someone have to draw the line for these exceptions? Or has the digital made the line obsolete?

[DiapDealer]

I like pudding.

[ardeegee]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

I was just wondering at what point does the knowledge contained within an ebook become so valuable as to invoke eminent domain, meaning the public has a right to appropiate the content of said ebook for the public good?

In the majority of cases, I think that it is Thursday.

[Penforhire]

Never. You can't build the information highway across my lawn.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Never. You can't build the information highway across my lawn.

You are referring to the individual who wishes to retain their property rights in lieu of the fact that the community has decided that said property would do better as a public good. It is indeed a problem for reconciling.

I would suggest adding a donation button to any book that has been seized by the community as a public good, so that the public who chooses to use the text may if they wish support the texts original creator.

Why deny access to books when the corpus of human knowledge is able to given to all freely? Far simpler to determine a new business model IMO.

[crich70]

Actually Eminent Domain

is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent. The property is taken either for government use or by delegation to third parties who will devote it to public or civic use or, in some cases, economic development.

according to Wikipedia and has nothing to do with intellectual property of any kind so far as I can see. Basically what it means (as an example) is that if you have land and a new road needs to be built say and it would go through your land then the government could seize it for the good of the people and give you compensation in the form of money for it. You don't even get a say in whether you want to sell or not in such a case. So Eminent Domain has nothing to do with such material as an ebook. An ebook becomes Public Domain (free to all) when the copyright is expired and can't be renewed. So a book like Dracula by Bram Stoker is Public Domain while a book like Salem's lot by Stephen King isn't.

[Rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

Never. You can't build the information highway across my lawn.

Unless Vogons come to destroy your planet because you refused to let them build a super speed highway.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by crich70

Actually Eminent Domain

according to Wikipedia has nothing to do with intellectual property of any kind so far as I can see.

All property is the same.

Should there be an eminent domain analogue for knowledge? One that does not take time into consideration (copyright), as time is irrelevant in the digital. Or rather, time is infinite. A book once posted remains so.

But how to gauge the worth of a particular text?

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

All property is the same.

Should there be an eminent domain analogue for knowledge? One that does not take time into consideration (copyright), as time is irrelevant in the digital. Or rather, time is infinite. A book once posted remains so.

But how to gauge the worth of a particular text?

By that logic if I get hold of an envelope with your address on it I could claim that I own your house. There is a difference between intellectual property and physical property such as land which is what eminent domain normally is restricted to.

[wyndslash]

@giggles and crich: your interactions made me laugh out loud in the school's computer lab xD

[crich70]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

@giggles and crich: your interactions made me laugh out loud in the school's computer lab xD

We also serve those who only stand and wait. lol.

[Giggleton]

Originally Posted by crich70

By that logic if I get hold of an envelope with your address on it I could claim that I own your house. There is a difference between intellectual property and physical property such as land which is what eminent domain normally is restricted to.

We can come up with a new term if you like. Eminent domain just sounded reasonable to me, seizure of goods by the state/public for the public good. It would be good for the public to have access to all knowledge yes?

[witeowl]

Originally Posted by Rainmaker

Unless Vogons come to destroy your planet because you refused to let them build a super speed highway.

I didn't refuse; I didn't know. How was I supposed to know that there was a notice posted at the Alpha Centuri Planning Department? I didn't even know that there WAS an Alpha Centuri Planning Department!

[wyndslash]

Originally Posted by witeowl

I didn't refuse; I didn't know. How was I supposed to know that there was a notice posted at the Alpha Centuri Planning Department? I didn't even know that there WAS an Alpha Centuri Planning Department!

then you're in for a ride

[crich70]

Originally Posted by Giggleton

We can come up with a new term if you like. Eminent domain just sounded reasonable to me, seizure of goods by the state/public for the public good. It would be good for the public to have access to all knowledge yes?

You would think so, but would it really be to the benefit of all? I mean say someone had developed the technology that allowed them to know exactly how many years a person would live. Would such a thing be welcomed by the general population or would it be hated? I mean, just think. The tech. tells you that you will live to see age 50 and you are six months away from your 50th birthday, would you really want to know that you had that little time left? Granted that's an extreme example, but not all knowledge is welcomed by those it is meant for. What if someone had worked out a way to easily extract heavy water from regular water and how to build a fusion bomb was to become common knowledge. Would you want just anyone to be able to build one? Sometimes it is better that some knowledge is restricted to the few rather than being made public.