Re: Copyrights and Wrongs, from The Netly News

[Mikhael Frieden <mikhaelf@mindspring.com>]

At 09:46 AM 11/23/97 -0700, Tim May wrote:
>At 5:32 AM -0700 11/23/97, Mikhael Frieden wrote:
>
>>        It is interesting that while almost the entire body of copyright
>>law deals with materials other then what is to be covered, the industry has
>>enough clout to get their's singled out for the first criminal penalties
>>for violation.
>>
>>        This leaves the bulk of copyrighted material, printed material,
>>photographs and the like open to being stolen as does nizkor for example.
>
>I mentioned this point back when I was on the Cyberia-l list a few years ago.
>
>Some of the law professors on the list were complaining that their
>copyright rights were being violated by the quoting or forwarding of
>articles.
>
>And the major newspapers were sending out threatening letters, which were
>generally heeded by the "offenders."
>
>Well, what about _my_ stuff? (More generally, anybody's stuff.)
>
>Why  does Professor Joe Shmoe or "The New Attleboro Times" have a greater
>claim to "copyright violations" than Fred Nobody?
>
>This is a semi-rhetorical question, as it mostly involves who is willing to
>hire a lawyer to enforce such property claims. But, as M. Frieden notes,
>the deck is stacked in favor of large newspapers, publishers, and even
>professional authors, and is stacked against private individuals and lesser
>authors gaining access to the courts.

>"Some copyrights are more equal than others."

>(Personally, I don't really believe in copyrights.)

        Perhaps but there is something particularly obnoxious to the rule
of law when scum like McVay being able to say to the effect, 'I know I am
stealing from you. Sue me.' 

        It is most clearly a mockery of the law to find his pack of
drooling toadies such as McC using the theft as a juvenile taunt, that some
may set themselves above the law solely upon the grounds of the cost of
civil action. 

        That is something simply not done in civilized society. 


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